MOSCOW 


MOSCOW 

A  STORY  OF  THE 

FRENCH     INVASION     OF     1812 


BY 


FRED   WHISHAW 

AUTHOR  OP   "  LOVERS   AT   FAULT,"   "  THE   TIGER   OF   MUSCOVY,' 
"A   ORAND   DUKE   OF   RUSSIA,"   ETC. 


LONGMANS,  GREEN,  AND  CO. 

39   PATERNOSTER   ROW,   LONDON 
NEW  YORK   AND   BOMBAY 

1905 


MOSCOW. 

CHAPTER  I. 

WITH  a  great  jangling  of  sleigh-bells  and  much 
shouting  from  his  driver,  who  addressed  the 
three  horses  by  every  epithet  both  endearing 
and  abusive  that  his  vocabulary  could  provide, 
Count  Maximof  drove  into  the  yard  of  his 
nearest  neighbour,  the  Boyar  Demidof.  The 
visit  was  expected,  for  Maximof  had  sent  a 
messenger  to  give  warning  of  his  approach  and 
to  notify  the  boyar  of  the  object  of  his  coming. 
The  Count  was  accompanied  by  his  wife,  Avdotia, 
and  his  son,  a  child  of  ten  years,  as  well  as  by 
the  priest  of  the  district  who  had  been  picked 
up  en  route  at  his  own  village.  The  child 
Alexander,  commonly  called  Sasha,  sat  by  the 
driver,  a  young  serf  of  surly  appearance  and 
manners,  while  the  three  elders  occupied — as 
best  they  could — the  cushioned  seat  behind. 

This  was  designed  to  hold  two  with  moderate 

i 

* 


1015015 


2  MOSCOW 

comfort,  so  that  the  two  outside  passengers  now 
fared  indifferently,  but  the  middle  one,  who  was 
the  Count,  was  comfortable  enough. 

Demidof,  with  his  wife,  met  the  party  at  the 
threshold  of  his  house,  greeting  them  with 
voluble  and  exaggerated  expressions  of  welcome, 
after  the  manner  of  Russian  hosts  of  his  day, 
which  was  about  one  hundred  years  ago. 

"  You  see  I  have  brought  him,"  said  Maxi- 
mof;  "make  your  bow,  Sasha,  and  ask  after 
the  health  of  your  nevyesta  (bride)." 

Sasha  advanced  shyly.  "  I  hope  Mademoiselle 
Vera  Danilovna  is  well  ?  "  he  said,  glibly  enough. 

"  She  is  well  and  waiting  anxiously  to  embrace 
her  fiance","  said  Demidof,  laughing.  "  Go  into 
the  salon  on  the  right  and  you  will  find  her — 
what?  You  have  a  present  for  her — a  doll — 
that  is  delightful ;  she  will  love  you  from  the 
very  beginning.  That  is  the  door." 

Sasha  disappeared  in  the  direction  indicated. 

"The  notary  is  here,"  continued  Demidof. 
"  We  can  complete  the  legal  part  of  the  matter 
immediately ;  after  which  you,  Father  Nicholas, 
shall  perform  your  share  of  the  ceremony." 

Parents,  priest  and  notary  now  proceeded  to 
the  business  of  the  occasion,  which  was  the 
betrothal  of  Alexander  Maximof,  aged  ten,  to 


MOSCOW  3 

Vera  Demidof,  who  numbered  seven  summers, 
and  the  signing  of  the  contract  of  betrothal. 
When  this  latter  document  had  been  read  over 
and  approved  and  signed  by  all  present,  the  two 
persons  chiefly  concerned  in  the  matter  were 
summoned  for  the  religious  ceremony ;  little 
Vera  came  hugging  her  doll,  while  Sasha  was 
arrayed  in  a  tiny  Lancer  uniform,  the  gift  of 
his  bride-to-be. 

The  priest  recited  certain  prayers  and  injunc- 
tions to  which  the  principals  paid  scant  attention  ; 
and,  the  ceremony  ended,  all  sat  down  to  dinner. 
At  this  function  there  were  many  servants,  serfs 
of  the  estate,  to  wait  upon  the  feasters  ;  the  food 
was  good  and  plentiful,  but  badly  cooked,  the 
wine  plentiful  also,  but  indifferent,  and  the 
plates  and  dishes  were  filthy.  Civilisation  had 
not  as  yet  reached  a  high  standard  in  the  Russia 
of  that  day,  when,  even  in  the  best  houses, 
though  the  furniture  might  be  gorgeously  gilt, 
it  stood  in  dust  and  dirt ;  where  men-  and 
women-servants  slept  in  the  passages  which 
were  not  aired  during  the  day ;  where  there 
were  no  arrangements  for  personal  ablutions, 
and  ventilation  and  sanitation  were  arts  as  yet 
undiscovered  and  undreamed  of. 

The  two  mothers  gushed  over  their  children, 


4  MOSCOW 

who  chattered  and  played  together  quite  uncon- 
cerned to  think  of  the  serious  nature  of  the 
function  in  which  they  had  this  day  taken  a 
chief  part.  It  was  a  beautiful  thing,  Countess 
Maximof  observed,  to  see  innocent  love  actually 
in  the  birth,  as  at  this  moment.  The  fathers 
drank  heavily  and  made  boisterous  jokes  at  which 
all  present  laughed  aloud,  including  the  servants 
and  his  reverence  the  priest,  who  drank  as  hard 
as  any  and  gave  no  sign  of  displeasure  when 
the  humour  of  the  two  manor-lords  surpassed 
in  its  vulgarity  even  the  wide  margin  which,  in 
those  days  of  much  breadth  in  such  matters, 
was  considered  permissible. 

More  than  once  Demidof  rose  to  chastise 
some  unfortunate  serf  who  had  in  some  manner 
displeased  him.  Neither  of  the  gentlemen  hesi- 
tated to  use  language  towards  the  servants, 
whether  male  or  female,  too  outrageous  to  be 
imagined,  far  less  quoted,  applying  names  and 
epithets  of  the  most  unsavoury  and  insulting 
nature. 

"  You  are  too  kind  and  gentle  with  your 
fellows,"  said  Maximof,  who  was,  even  in  those 
dark  days  of  tyrannous  and  brutal  manor-lords, 
a  noted  bully  towards  his  serfs,  and  was  hated 
by  them  in  consequence  even  more  bitterly  than 


MOSCOW  5 

he  himself  was  aware.  "  You  should  send  that 
clumsy  devil  to  me  for  a  week,  I'd  train  him  for 
you." 

The  clumsy  devil  referred  to  had  spilt  wine 
over  his  master's  arm  and  had  received  a 
clout  over  his  head  for  his  carelessness.  He 
now  stood  lamenting  audibly  by  the  side- 
board. 

"You  may  have  the  fool,"  laughed  Demidof, 
"  for  five  roubles,  and  train  him  or  bury  him  as 
you  please." 

"  Oh  no,  no,  Barin,  God  forbid,"  cried  the 
wretched  man  sinking  upon  his  knees,  "it  is  un- 
lawful to  sell  me  away  from  the  land." 

"  Good — I  take  him — send  him  over  to- 
morrow !  "  Maximof  hiccoughed,  totally  uncon- 
cerned by  the  fellow's  blubbering  and  entreaties, 
to  which  his  own  master  paid  no  more  attention 
than  the  Count  did. 

When  dinner  was  over  the  afternoon  was 
well  spent  and  it  was  time  to  set  out  upon  the 
twenty-mile  drive  which  separated  the  houses 
of  the  two  boyars.  The  children  were  made 
to  kiss  one  another  at  parting,  a  demonstration 
to  which  the  lady  strongly  objected  though 
without  assigning  a  reason  until  after  her 
future  lord's  departure,  when  she  explained  to 


6  MOSCOW 

her  mother's  superstitious  horror,  but  to  her 
father's  boisterous  amusement,  that  she  hated 
him. 

"  He  kicked  me  and  hit  me,"  she  said,  show- 
ing certain  marks  upon  her  limbs,  "  because  I 
was  tired  of  playing  at  soldiers  with  him  and 
wanted  to  hug  my  doll.  Don't  invite  him  here 
again,  mother ! " 

"  But  he  belongs  to  you,  my  dove,  you  must 
love  him,  he  is  yours  and  you  are  his,"  cried  the 
horrified  parent. 

"Then  I'll  spill  wine  over  him  and  he  shall 
sell  me  for  five  roubles,  as  father  sold  Gregory 
just  now ! "  said  the  child.  Whereat  the  mother 
crossed  herself  and  muttered  a  prayer  and  the 
boyar  laughed  boisterously. 

Meanwhile  the  Maximof  family  sped  home- 
wards through  the  gloom  of  the  early  winter 
evening.  The  cold  had  a  sobering  influence 
both  upon  the  boyar  himself  and  upon  the 
priest,  who  was  with  difficulty  aroused  from 
torpor,  however,  when  his  village  was  reached 
and  the  time  came  to  drop  him  at  his  own 
house. 

The  driver,  Kiril,  had  found  friends  at 
Demidofs  house  anxious  to  entertain  him  in 
return  for  his  dismal  accounts  of  the  cruelties 


MOSCOW  7 

and  abominations  practised  by  his  boyar  upon 
the  serfs  of  his  estate. 

"We  are  dogs,  no  better,"  he  had  told  them  ; 
"you  may  thank  God,  brothers,  that  you  are 
not  in  our  place." 

"Go  on  and  tell  us  all  about  it,"  said  one, 
plying  Kiril  with  more  drink.  Kiril  had  many  a 
tale  to  tell  at  the  price  of  a  drink  for  each  recital, 
and  when  true  stories  failed  him  he  employed 
his  inventive  powers. 

"  You,  Gregory,  had  better  hang  yourself 
rather  than  come  our  way,"  said  he,  address- 
ing the  man  sold  in  a  fit  of  rage  by  Demidof  at 
the  dinner-table. 

"There  is  no  need,"  said  Gregory.  "My 
master  is  not  a  fool  when  he  is  sober;  he  knows 
two  things,  one  that  he  cannot  sell  me  away 
from  the  land  and  the  other  that  I  am  worth 
more  than  five  roubles  to  him.  He  will  re- 
member these  two  things  when  he  has  slept, 
and  I  shall  not  go." 

"  Good  ;  so  be  it ;  remain  and  be  happy ! 
What  in  the  devil's  name  does  your  master 
think  of  to  mate  his  child  with  the  whelp  of  a 
wolf  ?  Like  father  like  son ;  one  day  he  will 
eat  her." 

"  In  twelve  years  much  may  happen.     Drink, 


8  MOSCOW 

friend,  and  tell  us  more  of  the  doings  of  your 
master,  who  must  indeed  be  a  very  child  of 
Satan,  if  all  you  say  is  true." 

"  It  is  true.  Listen  now  how  he  knouted 
Masha,  the  herdsman's  daughter ;  some  lords 
have  respect  for  the  weakness  of  a  woman,  but 
he  has  none." 

Kiril  was  still  narrating  and  still  drinking 
when  summoned  to  put  in  the  horses  and  start 
homewards.  By  this  time  he  was  far  from 
sober. 

On  the  way  home  he  slept  peacefully,  the 
clever  little  horses  knowing  the  road  homewards 
and  keeping  faultlessly  to  the  track. 

The  priest  had  been  left  at  his  house  and 
there  remained  but  four  or  five  miles  to  drive 
when  the  astute  little  animals  suddenly  shied 
with  one  accord,  sending  the  sledge  skidding 
across  the  road  and  bringing  it  up  violently 
enough  against  a  pine-tree. 

Maximof  was  rudely  awakened  from  his  sleep. 
His  wife  uttered  a  cry  of  alarm,  the  boyar 
swore  loudly  and  thumped  Kiril  on  the  back. 
Young  Sasha  cried  out  incoherently  and  pointed 
among  the  trees  on  the  right. 

Kiril's  head  was  sunk  upon  his  breast ;  he 
snored  in  a  drunken  stupor  and  took  no  notice 


MOSCOW  9 

of  the  Barin's  blows,  which  did  not  want  for 
energy. 

"  See,  father,  wolves ! "  cried  Sasha  excitedly. 
"  I  have  seen  six,  there  is  a  seventh — oh — eight 
—nine ! " 

Maximof  looked  about  "  It  is  true,"  he  said, 
<(they  follow  us." 

"  Husband,  is  there  danger  ?  Whip  up  the 
horses,  Kiril ! " 

"  Kiril  is  drunk  and  useless,  he  will  not  wake,'' 
replied  the  Count;  "I  will  try  other  means." 
He  took  the  whip  and  stood  up  to  belabour 
the  wretched  sleeper  about  the  neck,  face  and 
shoulders. 

Kiril  awoke  with  a  roar  of  pain  and  drunken 
rage ;  he  turned  in  his  seat  and  struck  savagely 
at  his  master,  swearing  horrible  oaths. 

"  Sit  down  and  hold  the  reins,  you  fool," 
shouted  Maximof.  "  There  is  a  pack  of  wolves 
at  our  heels." 

There  was  something  in  the  Barin's  aspect 
at  this  moment  that  gave  the  drunken  man 
pause.  It  was  not  the  thought  of  the  wolves, 
for  he  never  glanced  at  them.  He  ceased  to 
swear  and  rave  and  sat  down  obediently  to 
drive.  Five  minutes  later  the  fellow  was  asleep 
again,  the  reins  dangling.  By  this  time  the 


io  MOSCOW 

wolves  had  grown  more  daring ;  several  had 
left  the  cover  of  the  forest  and  followed  the 
sledge  in  the  open  moonlight,  going  at  a  hand- 
gallop,  grey  and  lank  and  weird  enough  to  see. 
There  were  still  two  miles  to  go.  A  gaunt 
beast  suddenly  sprang  out  at  the  off  horse, 
causing  both  animals  to  shy  violently  across  the 
road. 

Sasha  uttered  a  cry  of  terror ;  the  Countess 
caught  her  husband's  arm ;  Kiril  half  awoke 
and  joggled  the  reins. 

"  The  wolves  will  attack  us  before  we  reach 
home.  We  are  lost,  husband,"  said  the  Countess. 

"  Take  the  reins  from  Kiril,  Sasha,"  said 
Maximof,  standing  up.  The  boy  obeyed,  taking 
the  reins  from  the  sleeper's  nerveless  hands. 
Then  Maximof  suddenly  caught  Kiril  by  the 
waist  and  pulled  him  backwards.  The  Count 
was  a  large  and  powerful  man,  the  other  was  a 
wisp  in  his  arms.  Kiril  awoke  and  struggled. 
He  caught  the  box-board  with  his  heels,  but 
Maximof  kicked  them  free.  Kiril  struck  at 
him  and  cursed,  but  feeling  himself  being  forced 
over  the  side  of  the  sledge  he  clutched  with  his 
hands  and  held  on. 

"  Husband,  what  are  you  doing  ? — the  wolves 
— the  wolves ! "  shrieked  the  Countess.  But 


MOSCOW  ii 

her  husband  replied  laughing  that  there  were 
many  trees,  the  fool  could  climb  one  if  he  was 
not  too  drunk.  "  Take  the  butt  of  the  whip  and 
strike  his  hands,"  he  added,  but  his  wife  only 
shrieked  and  clung  feebly  to  his  arm. 

Maximof  forced  one  of  the  hands  away  and 
contrived  by  a  united  effort  of  arms,  legs  and 
body  to  expel  the  wretched  Kiril  from  the 
sledge.  But  the  other  hand  clung  desperately 
for  a  moment  as  the  man  was  dragged  along. 
Maximof  kicked  it  free. 

There  was  a  shriek,  and  in  the  moonlight  each 
wolf  seemed  to  make  for  one  point  in  the  road. 
Then  came  a  scrimmage  and  a  tumult  of  snarling 
and  fighting,  and  now  the  sledge  was  out  of  sight 
and  hearing.  It  went  on  its  way  without  further 
pursuit,  save  for  one  or  two  stragglers  who  soon 
found  that  their  comrades  had  chosen  the  wiser 
course,  and  went  back  in  hopes  of  being  in  time 
for  a  share  of  such  good  things  as  the  gods  had 
provided. 

That  night  an  old  hag  from  the  village  came 
to  the  mansion  to  inquire  for  her  son  Kiril. 
From  the  servants  she  learned  no  certain  thing, 
but  each  had  suggestions  to  make  as  to  Kiril's 
non-arrival.  The  story  of  Sasha's  nurse  was 
grimly  suggestive.  When  going  to  bed  Sasha 


12  MOSCOW 

had  shown  off  his  new  Lancer  uniform,  and, 
being  in  a  boastful  mood,  had  volunteered  the 
information  that  he  had  held  the  reins  while 
father  and  Kiril  were  fighting. 

"  Why  did  they  fight  ? "  asked  the  nurse,  but 
Sasha  had  suddenly  remembered  that  his  mother 
had  bidden  him  remain  silent  as  to  this  episode, 
and  he  replied  that  he  did  not  know.  "  Kiril 
was  drunk,"  he  said,  "  I  know  that." 

Presently  the  hag  found  her  way  into  the 
presence  of  her  manor-lord  and  accused  him, 
shrieking,  of  the  murder  of  her  son. 

"To  the  wolves  you  threw  him,"  she  cried, 
"  deny  it  if  you  can !  " 

Maximof  laughed  ;  he  rang  the  bell  and  bade 
his  servants  take  her  to  the  flog  room  and  see 
that  she  had  her  full  twenty  strokes. 

"  They  that  throw  to  the  wolves  shall  to  the 
wolves  be  thrown ! "  shrieked  the  woman  as  she 
was  removed  ;  but  Maximof  laughed  and  bade 
the  servants  add  five  strokes.  Presently  he  rang 
again  in  order  to  ask  whether  his  orders  had 
been  obeyed. 

"To  the  letter,  Barin,"  said  the  trembling 
serf;  "twenty-five  strokes;  after  her  punish- 
ment, being  unable  to  walk,  she  was  carried 
away  to  the  village." 


MOSCOW  13 

"  Good,"  said  Maximof ;  "  if  any  serf  repeats 
the  words  she  has  spoken  this  night,  he  shall 
receive  a  double  punishment." 

As  a  matter  of  fact  the  hag  had  been  allowed 
to  go  unknouted.  "It  is  enough  to  have  lost 
your  son,"  her  pitying  fellow  serfs  had  told 
her ;  "go  quickly  and  remain  lying  and  groan- 
ing to-morrow,  in  case  the  steward  calls  to 
make  sure." 

"Those  that  throw  to  the  wolves  shall  them- 
selves feel  the  teeth  of  the  wolves,"  murmured 
the  old  hag  as  she  took  her  departure,  and 
the  saying  was  repeated  broadcast  among  the 
villagers  next  day,  in  spite  of  the  manor-lord's 
threats,  for  this  old  hag  had  some  reputation  as 
a  znaharka,  or  wise  woman,  and  her  curses  and 
blessings  were  matters  of  considerable  interest 
to  the  peasantry  around. 


CHAPTER  II. 

MAXIMOF  employed  an  agent  to  do  the  dirty 
work  of  the  estate  ;  he  rarely  came  personally 
in  contact  with  his  people  and  scarcely  knew  the 
names  of  any  of  them.  Kakin,  the  agent,  was  no 
better  liked  by  the  peasants ;  he  was  a  bully, 
and  rarely  failed  to  improve  when  he  could  upon 
the  severity  of  his  master's  measures  towards 
them.  A  week  after  the  events  above  recorded 
Barin  and  agent  sat  together  in  the  estate  office 
over  the  weekly  consultation,  when  the  question 
of  the  intended  marriage  of  a  serf  came  up  for 
discussion,  a  man  of  the  name  of  Ivan  Patkin. 

"  He  may  marry  whom  he  pleases  in  his  own 
village,"  said  the  Count.  "  Who  is  the  woman  ?  " 

"  Timothy  Drugof's  daughter  Olga,  in  this 
village,"  said  Kakin ;  "  Ivan  of  course  lives 
at  Drevno."  This  was  a  village  within  the 
boundaries  of  Maximof  s  estate,  but  seven  miles 
at  least  from  the  manor-village  of  Toxova,  in 
which  Olga  lived  with  her  father. 

"  Tell  the  fool  to  marry  a  woman  in  Drevno 


MOSCOW  15 

or  remain  a  bachelor,"  said  the  Count;  "you 
know  very  well  and  so  do  the  peasants  that 
I  will  have  no  intermarrying  amongst  the 
villages." 

"  I  will  stop  the  proceedings  then.  I  told  the 
fellow  of  your  objection,  but  he  was  impertinent 
—I  will  not  tell  you  what  he  said." 

"  You  should  have  given  him  the  knout ;  do 
I  pay  you  wages  to  sit  and  listen  while  my 
peasants  use  improper  language  towards  their 
Barin?" 

"  I  gave  him  the  knout ;  but  he  is,  as  you  may 
know,  a  sulky  devil,  and,  instead  of  doing  him 
good,  the  flogging  caused  him  to  abuse  and 
threaten  me  to  my  face ;  I  was  somewhat  afraid 
of  the  man  ;  he  is  not  one  to  meet  alone  in  the 
forest  on  a  dark  night." 

"Afraid  of  a  serf?  You  forget,  my  friend, 
that  by  the  admission  you  may  endanger  your 
position  ;  for  if  you  show  yourself  useless  to  me 
we  must  part.  My  authority  must  be  absolute 
and  you  are  my  representative.  As  for  this 
marriage,"  the  Count  ended,  "  I  do  not  desire 
that  Olga  should  leave  this  village — she  is  use- 
ful at  the  manor-house." 

"  I  will  do  my  best,"  said  the  agent.  He 
did  not  mention  that  Ivan  Patkin  and  his  friends 


16  MOSCOW 

at  Toxova  had  practically  turned  him  out  of  the 
village  with  contemptuous  words  and  threats 
directed  not  only  against  himself  but  also  against 
the  Count ;  nor  that  the  peasants  had  inter- 
fered at  the  very  beginning  of  Ivan's  flogging 
and  had  rescued  him  by  force. 

"Tell  the  Barin  to  interfere  with  Ivan's 
marriage  if  he  dares ! "  one  of  the  peasants  had 
said.  "  We  would  deprive  him  of  no  rights  ; 
we  both  are  and  remain  his  serfs  and  live  upon 
his  land  ;  he  loses  nothing  if  one  of  us  goes 
from  one  village  to  another ! " 

The  agent's  way  of  "doing  his  best"  in  this 
matter  was  discreet.  Knowing  that  the  day 
fixed  for  Ivan's  wedding  was  the  following 
Saturday  at  Drevno,  this  being  Thursday,  he 
contrived  to  be  absent  for  two  days  in  a  distant 
part  of  the  estate ;  so  that  when  a  deputation 
of  peasants  from  Drevno  came  over  to  fetch 
the  bride  early  on  Saturday  morning,  he  was 
not  in  the  village  to  prevent  them. 

Ninety-nine  times  out  of  a  hundred  the  Barin 
would  have  been  unaware  in  such  a  case  of  the 
disobedience  of  his  people ;  but  it  so  happened 
that  the  girl  Olga  was  required  that  day  at  the 
manor-house  in  order  to  act  as  substitute  for 
one  of  the  servants,  who  fell  ill.  Thus  Olga's 


MOSCOW  17 

absence  was  remarked  and  commented  upon 
and  Maximof  himself  happened  to  be  at  hand 
and  heard  the  fact  mentioned. 

"  Where  is  the  wench  then  ? "  he  asked. 

The  woman  who  had  been  into  the  village  to 
fetch  Olga  replied  that  the  peasants  had  told 
her  it  was  Olga's  wedding-day  and  she  had  gone 
to  Drevno  to  be  married. 

"  What  ?  "  roared  the  outraged  Barin  ; 
"  married  ? — to  whom  ?  " 

"To  a  peasant  in  that  village,"  replied  the 
trembling  messenger,  "one  Ivan  Patkin." 

"  Where  is  Kakin — why  has  he  allowed  the 
wench  to  go  ? "  asked  the  Count,  almost  speech- 
less with  rage.  Then  he  remembered  that  the 
agent  was  away  collecting  fines  and  duties  in 
other  villages. 

"  Let  Kiril  put  the  horses  to,"  he  roared  ;  "  I 
will  go  myself." 

Some  one  tremblingly  reminded  the  lord  that 
Kiril  was  dead. 

"  Some  other  fellow  then,"  he  roared. 

Maximof  took  his  knout,  an  ugly  leathern 
whip  of  many  tails,  and  paid  a  visit — while 
waiting  for  his  sledge — to  the  parents  of  Olga, 
who  protested  with  tears  that  the  agent  had 

never   told    them    of   the    Barin's    desire   that 

2 


i8  MOSCOW 

Olga  should  not  be  married  out  of  her  own 
village. 

"  As  if  we  should  dare  to  disobey  the  Barin's 
will,"  they  cried.  "  It  is  not  even  as  though  we 
had  wished  the  wench  married  there ;  naturally 
we  would  rather  keep  her  in  Toxova,  near  our- 
selves— but  go  she  would  !  " 

Maximof  laid  about  him  freely  with  his  knout ; 
he  spared  neither  age  nor  sex,  and  the  cries 
which  .arose  from  the  household  included  those 
of  Olga's  grandparents  as  well  as  her  parents, 
and  of  the  children  small  and  large.  All  wept 
and  scolded  in  a  body  when  the  Barin  had 
departed,  blaming  one  another  and  the  agent 
and  the  Barin  himself,  but  principally  Olga,  for 
bringing  this  trouble  upon  them. 

"  There  is  Peter  Kuzmin  in  this  village," 
they  cried,  "  who  would  have  had  her  ;  but  no, 
nothing  would  do  but  to  marry  Ivan  Patkin, 
who  is  a  devil,  not  a  man  !  If  the  Barin  fetches 
her  back,  she  shall  marry  Peter  without  delay. 
Are  we  all  to  suffer  again  for  her  sins  ?  " 

Meanwhile  the  village  of  Drevno  was  en  fete. 
The  bride  and  bridegroom  drove  hither  and 
thither,  from  house  to  house,  receiving  con- 
gratulations and  presents,  and  drink,  flowed 
freely.  The  wedding  ceremony  would  take 


MOSCOW  19 

place  early  in  the  afternoon,  if  the  priest  con- 
descended to  turn  up  in  time.  He  was  not  one 
to  put  himself  out,  however,  for  a  mere  marriage 
of  serfs.  Maidens  walked  about  the  village 
singing  the  dirges  and  melancholy  songs  which 
are  or  used  to  be  a  recognised  prelude  to  the 
marriage  of  one  of  their  companions.  In  these 
songs  all  the  possible  sorrows  and  troubles  of 
matrimony  are  reviewed,  and  the  poor  bride  is 
reminded  again  and  again  that  she  is  plunging 
into  a  bottomless  sea  of  woe  and  would  have 
done  far  better  to  keep  out  of  the  married 
state. 

In  some  cases  the  bride  accompanies  this 
cheerful  band,  taking  part  with  the  maidens 
in  foretelling  her  own  troubles  by  singing  the 
solo  verses,  which  consist  of  a  repetition  of  the 
dismal  prophecies  with  her  own  acquiescence 
thrown  in.  But  Olga  preferred  to  drive  around 
with  Ivan  of  whom  she  was  extremely  fond ; 
for  this — strange  to  say — was  a  love-match,  a 
rare  thing  indeed  in  those  days  and  among  the 
serfs,  whose  marriages  were  usually  arranged 
for  them  by  their  manor-lord  with  a  view  to  the 
particular  needs  of  any  portion  of  his  estate  in 
the  matter  of  population. 

Olga  was  merry  this  day  and  happy.      She 


20  MOSCOW 

knew  very  well  that  there  might  be  trouble ; 
that  the  Barin  would  be  displeased  and  would 
cause  old  Kakin  to  threaten  all  manner  of  pains 
and  penalties.  But  in  Drevno  the  peasants 
were  not  afraid  of  Kakin ;  they  knew  well 
enough  that  he  dared  not  fulfil  his  threats,  and 
that  he  would  prefer  to  report  to  his  master 
that  certain  floggings  had  been  inflicted  than 
actually  inflict  them.  As  for  the  Barin  himself, 
he  rarely  came  to  the  village.  The  people  of 
Toxova  lived,  as  it  were,  under  his  eye ;  but 
at  Drevno  it  was  different,  and  the  peasants 
consequently  enjoyed  a  certain  measure  of  in- 
dependence, won  for  themselves  and  by  them- 
selves out  of  Kakin,  the  agent,  whom  they  had 
successfully  intimidated. 

Even  the  Barin,  Olga  knew,  could  not  un- 
marry  her,  once  the  church  had  performed  the 
rite ;  neither  could  he  separate  husband  and 
wife,  though  he  might  compel  Ivan  to  transfer 
himself  to  Toxova. 

It  was  a  quarter  to  two  when  the  Barin  came 
swinging  into  the  village  at  a  hand-gallop,  his 
three-horsed  sledge — or  troika — travelling  at  a 
splendid  pace  over  the  hard  snow  road.  The 
wedding  was  to  take  place  at  two  and  Olga  was 
now  being  dressed  by  her  maidens  at  the  house 


MOSCOW  21 

of  Ivan's  parents.  The  melancholy  songs  were 
in  full  chant ;  the  bride  and  chorus  were  all, 
as  the  occasion  demanded,  in  tears ;  every  girl 
wailing  and  sobbing  and  singing  as  they  decked 
their  companion  for  the  solemn  rite. 

Count  Maximof  drove  straight  to  the  Starost's 
house ;  this  was  the  elected  chief-peasant  of  the 
village,  and  the  Barin  put  up  his  trap  here, 
leaving  with  Gavril,  the  driver,  a  message  for  the 
Starost  that  if  he  were  too  late  and  the  marriage 
should  have  taken  place  against  his  wishes  and 
commands,  the  entire  population  should  be  not 
only  fined  but  flogged  also. 

The  Starost  sent  over  for  Ivan  Patkin,  the 
bridegroom,  and  communicated  to  him  the  dis- 
turbing news  :  the  Barin  had  arrived  to  stop  the 
wedding.  The  Starost  was  a  sturdy  independ- 
ent man,  like  the  rest  of  the  Drevno  villagers ; 
he  was  entirely  on  Ivan's  side  in  the  matter. 

"  But  the  Barin  is  the  Barin,"  he  observed, 
"  and  the  priest  will  obey  him.  He  has  gone 
straight  to  Father  Michael's.  What  is  to  be 
done  ? " 

Ivan  Patkin  stood  and  cursed  and  fingered 
the  axe  which  hung  at  his  belt.  He  was  anxious 
to  marry  Olga,  to  whom  he  was  sincerely  at- 
tached. This  fatal-looking  hitch  at  the  last 


22  MOSCOW 

moment  was  maddening.  His  eyes  seemed  to 
grow  red  in  a  sudden  access  of  rage  and  of 
hatred  for  the  Barin. 

"I  will  kill  the  devil,"  he  said.  "  The  old 
men  tell  us  that  the  peasants  of  the  next  estate 
rose  against  their  Barin,  who  oppressed  them, 
and  slew  him,  and  that  the  Tsaritsa  Catherine 
closed  her  eyes.  Let  us  do  the  same." 

"No,"  said  the  Starost ;  "that  is  going  too 
far,  Ivan.  The  Tsar  Paul  is  not  like  his  mother 
and  the  laws  are  different  also.  Disappear  in 
the  forest  with  Olga,  if  you  will,  and  be  married 
to-morrow,  or  to-night  after  the  Barin  has  gone. 
You  will  be  knouted,  no  doubt,  and  fined,  but 
you  will  have  Olga." 

Ivan  was  too  wild  with  rage  to  argue  quietly. 
"  I  see  there  is  no  help  to  be  got  from  you,"  he 
said,  and  he  withdrew  hastily  to  take  counsel 
with  others.  On  his  way  through  the  village 
he  met  the  Barin  himself  returning  from  his 
visit  to  the  priest  whom  he  had  abused  and 
threatened  and  browbeaten  until  the  unfortunate 
cleric  began  to  fear  that  the  furious  man  would 
end  by  knouting  him,  but  Maximof  dared  not 
raise  his  hand  to  beat  the  priest,  though  his 
fingers  itched  to  flog  some  one.  It  was  at  this 
moment  that  he  met  Ivan, 


MOSCOW  23 

Ivan,  though  furious,  nevertheless  removed 
his  cap  upon  encountering  his  master.  The 
peasant  in  him  was  too  strong.  Away  from  the 
Barin  he  would  have  told  himself  that  he  would 
not  only  not  salute  the  Count  if  he  should  meet 
him,  but  that  he  would  fall  upon  him  and  strangle 
the  tyrant.  In  the  Barin's  presence  he  was  cowed 
and  his  independence  and  courage  vanished, 
though  not  his  hatred. 

"  Who  are  you  ? "  said  the  angry  Count. 

"  Ivan  Patkin,"  replied  the  man. 

Then  the  Barin  fell  upon  him,  raining  abuses 
and  curses  and  knout-blows ;  and  in  a  moment 
the  wretched  peasant  was  upon  his  knees  blubber- 
ing and  beseeching,  rage  in  his  heart,  but  in  his 
veins  the  craven  blood  distilled  by  generations 
of  oppression. 

"  Come  to  Toxova  for  a  flogging  once  a 
month  for  a  year,"  said  the  Barin,  panting  with 
his  exertions  ;  "  and  when  you  come  Olga  shall 
come  also.  I  will  show  you  both,  and  the  rest 
of  the  village  too,  that  I  am  to  be  obeyed.  As 
for  marrying,  you  shall  marry  the  oldest  hag  in 
your  own  village,  since  you  will  have  a  wife." 

Count  Maximof  felt  somewhat  relieved,  but 
he  continued  his  walk  to  the  house  wherein  the 
bride  had  been  dressed  for  her  marriage.  He 


24  MOSCOW 

found  her  alone,  deserted  by  her  maidens — who 
had  fled  from  the  wrath  to  come — and  he  flogged 
her  without  pity  and  without  regard  for  her 
shrieks  and  her  appeals  for  mercy. 

Then,  his  anger  somewhat  appeased,  he  re- 
paired to  his  estate  office  and  bade  them  bring 
him  tea,  sending  a  message  to  Gavril,  the  driver, 
that  he  would  return  as  soon  as  the  horses  should 
be  sufficiently  rested.  Olga  might  return  in 
his  sledge,  he  added,  with  fine  generosity  ;  she 
deserved  to  be  made  to  walk  through  the  forest 
night  or  no  night,  but  he  would  let  her  drive  in 
mercy. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  horses  had  brought  their  master  to  Drevno 
at  a  hand-gallop,  and  required  some  little  time 
for  resting.  It  was  half-past  four  before  the 
troika  drove  up  to  the  door,  and  quite  dark. 
Olga  sat  huddled  up  on  the  box-seat  beside  the 
driver  and  she  was  still  crying,  her  body  heav- 
ing at  regular  intervals  with  deep-drawn  sobs. 

The  Barin,  having  been  obliged  to  wait  for 
more  than  two  hours  in  the  close,  hot  room 
which  served  as  his  agent's  office,  was  sleepy  ; 
he  settled  himself  comfortably  in  the  sledge,  well 
wrapped  in  furs,  and  presently  dozed  off.  Soon 
he  was  snoring  loudly. 

"  Olga,"  the  driver  whispered,  "  don't  be 
startled  and  make  a  noise— I  am  Ivan." 

Olga  did  start,  and  that  violently  ;  she  would 
have  cried  out,  too,  but  Ivan  placed  a  great 
gloved  hand  upon  her  mouth  and  prevented 
her. 

"  Ivan,  he  will  awake  and  recognise  thee,  and 
we  shall  be  knouted  as  we  sit,"  she  whispered 


26  MOSCOW 

presently,    when    he   had    removed    his   hand. 
"Why  did  you  come,  and  where  is  Gavril?" 

"  Gavril  lies  drunk  in  the  Starost's  stable  ;  he 
has  had  more  than  his  share  of  the  wedding 
vodka ;  I  made  him  drunk  in  order  to  take  his 
place.  And  I  have  come  because — do  not  be  a 
fool  and  cry  out — because  the  devil  behind  us 
has  lived  long  enough ;  as  it  has  not  been  our 
wedding-day  it  shall  be  his  death-day." 

"  Ivan,  you  dare  not — you  must  not.  He  is 
a  devil,  as  you  say,  but  to  murder  him  would  do 
us  no  good.  The  Tsar's  officers  would  come 
and  take  you  from  me  and  carry  you  away  to 
Siberia,  and  what  should  I  do  then  ?  " 

"  Bah !  they  must  catch  us  first  We  have 
these  horses.  We  will  drive  all  night  by  the 
roads,  so  as  to  leave  no  track,  and  we  will  come 
to  the  village  of  Ostrof,  where  I  have  relatives ; 
they  will  take  us  in." 

"  And  then  ? "  said  Olga,  trembling  so  that 
she  could  scarcely  speak. 

"  Their  Barin  will  not  ask  questions  ;  he  will 
have  us  registered  as  his  own  and  there  is  an 
end." 

"  But  he  must  know  why  we  have  fled  from 
our  own  Barin  ;  he  will  ask  and  require  to  be 
satisfied." 


MOSCOW  27 

"  We  will  say  that  he  was  a  devil  and  beat 
us,  and  that  we  would  bear  with  him  no 
longer." 

<4  Do  not  shed  blood,  Ivan,"  said  Olga.  "  I 
should  fear  you  all  my  life  long." 

"  Bah !  to  slay  such  vermin  is  to  do  God's 
service ;  do  not  be  a  timid  fool,  Olga ;  we 
cannot  live  without  one  another ;  is  not  that  a 
certain  thing  ? " 

"  That  is  certain  ;  but  I  would  rather  love  you 
without  fearing  you "  Olga's  speech  was  in- 
terrupted at  this  moment  by  the  sudden  shying  of 
the  shaft  horse,  a  movement  which  caused  her 
to  grab  the  narrow  board  on  which  she  sat  and 
Ivan  to  collide  violently  against  her,  so  that 
both  nearly  toppled  out  of  the  sledge.  It 
caused  the  Barin  to  awake  suddenly,  also,  and 
to  launch  at  Ivan's  head  a  string  of  curses  and 
abuse. 

Ivan  remained  silent,  rather  than  apologise  in 
the  cringing  phraseology  of  Gavril,  for  he  did 
not  wish  to  be  recognised  at  present. 

But  the  Barin's  drowsiness  was  not  yet  slept 
off,  and  in  a  minute  or  two  he  was  fast  asleep 
again,  and  snoring. 

"  Olga,  do  you  know  what  the  horse  shied  at  ?  " 
whispered  Ivan. 


28  MOSCOW 

"No,"  said  the  girl  ;  "  unless  it  was  a  shadow 
in  the  moonlight." 

"  Keep  a  guard  upon  your  lips  and  I  will  tell 
you ;  it  was  a  wolf.  At  this  moment  I  can 
count  five,  taking  both  sides  of  the  road  ;  watch 
between  the  trees  a  hundred  paces  from  the  road  ; 
you  will  see  them  creep  from  shadow  to  shadow, 
keeping  pace  with  us." 

"Holy   Mother  of  God!"    exclaimed   Olga, 
piously  crossing  herself;    "yes — I  see  them— 
Lord  have  mercy  upon  us.     I    cannot   forget 
Kiril  who  died  but  a  week  ago ! " 

"  Do  not  fear,"  said  Ivan  ;  "  these  wolves  may 
yet  prove  to  be  our  best  friends." 

Olga  pondered  in  silence  over  this  enigmati- 
cal utterance  of  Ivan's.  She  concluded  at  length 
that  he  must  have  meant  it  would  be  dangerous 
to  stop  in  order  to  murder  the  Barin,  as  he  had 
threatened  to  do,  and  that  therefore  the  wolves 
must  be  regarded  as  good  friends  having  thus 
prevented  the  intended  crime.  The  discovery 
gave  Olga  much  comfort. 

"  The  wolves  are  more  and  more,"  said  Ivan 
presently,  "  and  they  come  in  closer  and  closer 
to  the  road.  There  are  at  least  a  score,  or  it 
may  be  thirty ;  doubtless  it  is  Kiril's  pack." 

"  Lord  save  us!  "  ejaculated  Olga. 


MOSCOW  29 

"  Bah !  if  there  were  three  hundred  there 
would  be  no  danger  behind  these  good  horses 
—I  would  race  the  brutes  from  now  until  day- 
light ! "  said  Ivan.  "  There  is  nothing  to  fear, 
Olga,  only  hold  tightly  to  your  seat." 

Olga  shuddered,  but  did  as  she  was  bidden. 
The  wolves,  as  Ivan  said,  increased  every 
moment  in  numbers  and  in  audacity.  They 
made  no  sound,  but  they  cantered  nearer  on 
each  side  of  the  road,  but  twenty  paces  from  the 
sledge,  while  others  followed  behind.  The  three 
horses,  harnessed  abreast,  snorted  with  terror ; 
they  laid  back  their  ears  and  dragged  the  light 
sledge  at  a  hand-gallop.  Ivan  was  a  practised 
whip — every  Russian  peasant  is — and  controlled 
the  pace  at  his  desire.  The  Barin  slept  heavily  on. 

"How  many  there  are,  and  how  bold  they 
grow!"  whispered  Olga.  "Are  you  sure  we 
are  safe,  Ivan  ?  " 

"Only  hold  on  tightly,"  said  Ivan  hoarsely. 
A  moment  later  he  added  : — 

"  Now,  especially,  hold  on  very  tightly,  Olga, 
with  both  hands  ;  there  is  a  bit  of  rough  road 
here,  and  we  may  jolt ". 

Almost  at  the  instant  the  off  runner  of  the 
sledge  struck  the  stem  of  a  pine-tree  which 
stood  at  the  very  edge  of  the  road.  The  vehicle 


30  MOSCOW 

lurched  heavily,  glided  perilously  for  a  moment  on 
one  runner,  then  righted  itself.  The  frightened 
horses  started  away  at  full  gallop. 

Olga,  in  spite  of  having  clutched  her  seat 
with  both  hands,  was  thrown  sidelong  against 
Ivan,  who  grabbed  her  with  his  left  arm,  while 
with  his  right  leg  he  touched  and  shoved  off 
from  the  ground  ;  this  it  was  that  righted  the 
sledge.  As  the  horses  dashed  forward  both 
Ivan  and  Olga  jolted  back  into  their  places,  Olga 
shrieking  with  terror,  but  gripping  the  board 
upon  which  she  sat  so  tightly  as  to  be  perfectly 
secure.  Ivan  sat  still,  looking  neither  to  right 
nor  left.  He  seemed  to  employ  all  his  energies 
in  getting  the  horses  once  more  under  control. 
They  had  travelled  thus,  at  lightning  speed,  for 
two  hundred  yards,  a  distance  which  was 
covered  in  a  quarter  of  a  minute,  before  a  shriek 
from  behind  caused  Olga  to  cease,  suddenly,  her 
own  screaming  and  look  round. 

"The  Barin — the  Barin!"  she  cried.  "He 
has  fallen  out,  Ivan  ! — stop  the  horses — we  must 
save  him ! " 

"  Stop  them  who  can — do  not  speak  foolish- 
ness, Olga ;  you  see  that  I  am  pulling  with  all 
my  strength !  " 

Olga  kept  silence.     There  followed  a  second 


MOSCOW  31 

scream  from  behind  ;  then  a  cry  that  seemed  to 
be  broken  off  in  the  middle. 

Ivan  took  off  his  boots  and  threw  them  in  the 
road.  "  Do  the  same,  Olga,"  he  said. 

Olga  obeyed,  but  half  understanding.  A  few 
wolves  were  still  following  the  sledge,  but  most 
had  remained  behind. 

"  Throw  your  coat  also,"  said  Ivan,  "  and 
your  head  kerchief!  " 

All  these  garments  were  afterwards  found  by 

o  * 

the  horrified  persons  who  went  out  to  look  for 
the  Barin,  together  with  the  heels  of  the  Count's 
boots,  and  a  few  shreds  of  his  clothes.  Olga's 
boots  and  Ivan's  were  in  pieces  and  partly  eaten, 
and  her  coat  and  red  cotton  headkerchief  were 
in  shreds. 

"This  is  where  the  Barin  fell  out,"  said  the 
searchers  ;  "  the  two  others  clung  to  the  sledge  a 
little  longer,  it  appears,  before  being  thrown  out 
and  pulled  to  pieces.  It  is  horrible !  " 

But  many  of  the  peasants  in  MaximoPs 
villages  were  of  opinion  that  the  Barin's  fate 
was  well  deserved.  He  had  been  a  tyrant  and 
oppressor  of  the  poor.  "It  is  the  finger  of 
God  !  "  they  said.  Why  two  innocent  peasants 
should  have  been  sacrificed  at  the  same  time 
was  a  puzzling  factor  in  the  matter.  As  for  the 


32  MOSCOW 

sledge  it  was  duly  brought  back  by  the  three 
hungry  horses  next  day. 

"  Dear  Lord,  look  at  them ! "  said  the  peas- 
ants at  Toxova  ;  "  they  have  run  half  a  hundred 
miles — chased  by  wolves  throughout  the  night, 
only  think  of  it !  And  the  sledge  empty  behind 
them — bah  !  it  is  horrible !  " 

The  new  master  at  Ostrof  asked  no  questions. 
He  registered  Ivan  and  Olga  by  the  names  they 
chose  to  give  him.  Two  new  serfs  were  a  god- 
send not  to  be  despised.  It  was  as  though  some 
one  had  paid  in  an  unexpected  sum  to  his  credit 
at  the  banker's ! 

And  the  reputation  of  the  old  hag  at  Maxi- 
mof  s  manor-village  increased  wonderfully  from 
this  day.  Her  blessing  upon  crops,  marriages 
and  so  forth  doubled  at  once  in  value  ;  while  as 
for  her  curses,  why,  from  this  time  onward  until 
she  died,  if  she  but  launched  a  malediction,  the 
victim  might  as  well  go  and  hang  himself  for 
all  the  pleasure  life  would  afford  him  until  the 
wise  woman  was  pleased  to  withdraw  it. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

FOR  many  a  year  after  the  tragic  death  of  his 
father  the  new  manor-lord,  little  Sasha  Maximof, 
would  not  be  induced  to  live  at  the  estate.  He 
was  afraid  of  the  woods,  wherein  for  ever  lurked, 
according  to  his  morbid  fancy,  hoardes  of  raven- 
ing wolves  intent  upon  his  destruction ;  he  was 
afraid  of  his  serfs,  a  feeling  originated  and 
fostered  by  his  mother,  who  was  herself  afraid 
of  them,  well  knowing  the  hatred  they  had  borne 
towards  her  husband  and  fearing  lest  their 
malice  should  be  extended  towards  his  child. 
She  desired  no  more  than  Sasha  to  live  in  the 
country.  The  property  was  placed  in  the  hands 
of  a  steward — somewhat  more  merciful  than 
deposed  Kakin — who  contrived  to  extract  a  fat 
living  for  the  widow  and  her  son  by  exploiting 
their  unfortunate  serfs  to  the  utmost  limit  per- 
mitted by  the  law.  The  Countess  lived  with 
Sasha  in  St.  Petersburg  where  he  saw  little  or 
nothing  of  his  "  betrothed "  for  two  or  three 
years,  after  which  little  Vera  Demidof  was  sent 

33  3 


34  MOSCOW 

to  Paris  to  be  educated  in  a  French  school. 
Vera's  aunt,  Demidof  s  sister,  had  been  married 
to  the  French  Minister  at  the  Court  of  the 
Emperor  Paul,  after  whose  tragic  end  he  had 
left  the  country  and  returned  to  Paris,  taking 
with  him  his  Russian  wife.  Demidof  was  proud 
of  his  French  relations  and  was  glad  enough  to 
allow  his  child  to  receive  her  education  under 
such  promising  auspices. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen  Vera  returned  to  St. 
Petersburg  quite  prepared  to  find  her  country- 
men and  women  little  better  than  barbarians  as 
she  had  been  taught  by  the  elegant  Parisian 
folk  to  believe  them. 

"  Bears,  chdrie,  you  will  find  them,  every 
one,"  her  French  relations  assured  her ;  "  they 
have  no  manners  and  no  education,  how  should 
they  ?  and  your  fiance,  he  will  be  a  bear  like 
the  rest,  you  will  run  from  him,  run  back  to 
France  ;  we  shall  find  you  a  fiance  who  is  not  a 
bear!" 

"  Bear  or  no  bear,  we  are  pledged  to  one 
another  and  there  will  be  no  running  away  from 
him  ! "  said  Vera.  Whereat  her  French  rela- 
tives shrugged  their  shoulders  and  said,  "  This 
betrothal  of  babes,  what  does  it  signify?  It 
was  a  very  pretty  game  for  children,  but  a 


MOSCOW  35 

thing  to  be  forgotten  when  the  doll  is  put  away 
and  the  skirts  are  lengthened." 

"In  Russia  they  think  differently,"  Vera  re- 
plied. "  My  mother  looks  upon  the  betrothal  as 
binding,  I  know.  The  law  and  the  Church 
both  would  have  something  to  say  before  the 
contract  could  be  broken." 

"  Well,  let  us  see  first  what  he  is  like  ;  if  he 
should  be  an  impossible,  without  doubt  both 
the  Church  and  the  law  will  listen  to  reason. 
What,  are  two  people  to  be  bound  to  one 
another  for  life  if  they  desire  it  not  ?  God  for- 
bid ! " 

"  Maybe  we  shall  both  desire  it  when  we 
meet,  who  knows  ?  "  Vera  laughed.  "  We  are 
talking  in  the  dark,  since  Sasha  and  I  have  not 
met  for  many  years.  But  if  each  is  repulsive 
to  the  other  the  contract  may  perhaps  be  set 
aside,  by  mutual  agreement." 

"  That  is  sensible,"  said  Vera's  aunt ;  "  the 
danger  is  lest  he  shall  be  attracted  by  you, 
while  you  feel  no  counter-attraction  for  him,  or 
vice  versa." 

"  I  will  keep  a  guard  upon  my  heart,  aunt," 
laughed  Vera. 

The  first  meeting,  after  many  years,  between 
the  young  people  took  place  soon  after  this  con- 

3* 


36  MOSCOW 

versation  at  the  annual  reception  of  the  corps  of 
cadets  in  St.  Petersburg.  This  corps  consisted 
of  members  of  the  petite  noblesse — the  boyarin 
families  of  Russia,  destined  for  military  service 
in  the  more  aristocratic  regiments.  The  Em- 
peror Paul,  shocked  by  the  methods  of  his 
mother,  Catherine  the  Great,  in  the  matter  of 
distribution  of  commissions  to  the  sons  of  her 
boyars,  had  instituted  this  corps  of  cadets  as  a 
much-needed  measure  of  reform,  and  indeed 
the  step  was  taken  not  a  moment  too  soon 
for  the  good  of  the  country. 

As  the  great  Catherine's  system  of  distribut- 
ing commissions  to  the  members  of  that  class 
of  her  subjects  which  seems  to  have  been  her 
enfant  gate",  the  petite  noblesse,  is  somewhat 
unique,  I  will  ask  permission  to  digress  for  a 
moment  in  order  to  give  the  reader  some  idea 
of  her  method  and  of  the  abuses  to  which  it 
gradually  led. 

The  thing  developed  gradually  and  attained 
the  height  of  absurdity  only  when  the  Empress 
was  an  old  woman. 

Commissions  in  the  Guards  were  at  this  time 
regarded  as  gifts  from  the  sovereign  to  her 
faithful  boyars  and  claimable  by  every  boyar,  if 
he  so  desired,  for  the  benefit  of  his  children. 


MOSCOW  37 

They  were  issued  on  demand,  and  were  not,  at 
first,  applied  for  until  the  youth  destined  to  en- 
joy the  privilege  had  reached  a  time  of  life 
when  a  commission  in  the  army  might  fairly  be 
given  to  him  ;  but  since  the  officers  of  the 
Guards  received  liberal  pay  and  were  treated 
with  marked  kindness  and  indulgence  by  the 
sovereign,  it  occurred  to  certain  boyars  that  it 
would  be  a  pity  to  waste  several  years  of  the 
best  part  of  the  lives  of  their  sons,  years  which 
might  be  spent  so  profitably  in  drawing  pay 
and  accumulating  seniority  in  the  Guards. 
Therefore  certain  aspiring  parents  applied  for 
commissions  for  their  sons  at  the  age  of  fifteen  ; 
and — no  objection  being  made — it  soon  became 
the  custom  to  issue  commissions  to  lads  of 
this  age. 

Gradually  the  limit  of  age  decreased.  First 
commissions  were  demanded  for  boys  of  twelve, 
and  obtained ;  then  the  age  dropped  to  ten, 
then  to  eight,  to  six,  to  three.  No  duties  were 
required  of  all  these  young  officers,  who  were 
not  even  obliged  to  draw  their  own  pay ;  their 
fathers  were  permitted  to  do  this  for  them.  But 
promotion  proceeded  in  each  case  with  regular- 
ity, and  soon  it  was  a  common  thing  to  see  a 
promising  young  officer  of  seven  years  toddling 


38  MOSCOW 

at  his  mother's  side  in  the  epaulettes  of  a  captain 
of  the  Guards. 

But  the  matter  did  not  end  here.  It  now 
became  the  fashion  to  apply  for  commissions 
for  male  children  as  soon  as  born.  Lieutenants 
were  to  be  seen  carried  about  in  their  nurses' 
arms  and  captains  rode  in  perambulators,  while 
majors  and  colonels  of  ten  and  twelve  strutted 
about  the  streets,  to  the  pride  and  no  small 
profit  of  their  happy  parents.  One  would  sup- 
pose that  the  comedy  had  at  this  point  reached 
the  very  limit  of  absurdity  ;  but  this  was  not  so. 

It  occurred  to  some  ingenious  boyar  about 
to  enter  into  the  delights  and  responsibilities  of 
wedlock  to  apply  for  commissions  for  a  son  or 
two  in  advance.  If  his  marriage  should  be 
blessed  with  offspring — well ;  if  not,  well  also  ; 
for  no  one  would  be  likely  to  inquire  into  the 
matter  as  long  as  the  old  Empress  lived,  and 
the  pay  of  two  or  three  officers  of  the  Guards — 
non-existent,  certainly,  but  steadily  rising  in  rank 
for  all  that — would  be  a  comfortable  addition  to 
the  income  of  his  parents  that  might  have  been. 

This  was  the  millennium  of  Catherine's  en- 
fants  gates,  the  boyars,  and  it  came  to  an  end 
with  her  death  and  the  accession  of  Paul,  who 
had  long  watched  the  scandal  from  his  retreat 


MOSCOW  39 

at  Gatchina  and  watched  it  with  helpless  dis- 
pleasure and  anger.  Paul  was  a  strict  disciplin- 
arian and  the  sight  of  the  degradation  of  the 
Guards  maddened  him.  One  of  his  first  acts  after 
his  accession  was  to  hold  a  review  of  the  corps, 
a  review  at  which  every  officer  was  compelled 
to  be  present  or  to  hand  in  his  resignation. 

That  must  indeed  have  been  the  weirdest 
parade  upon  record.  Officers  in  arms,  officers 
in  perambulators,  officers  clinging  to  their 
mothers'  skirts ;  shy  and  self-conscious  majors 
of  ten  wandering  helplessly  about  the  Champs 
de  Mars,  colonels  of  twelve  and  fourteen  asking 
one  another  to  which  regiment  they  belonged, 
and  the  stern,  angry  Emperor  surveying  the 
motley  scene  as  the  executioner  eyes  his  victim 
before  dealing  the  fatal  stroke  which  is  to  end 
him  once  and  for  all. 

In  spite  of  his  anger,  the  Tsar  Paul  displayed 
some  humour  upon  this  occasion,  perhaps  with 
the  intention  of  impressing  upon  all  witnesses 
the  absurdity  of  the  prevailing  state  of  affairs. 
Every  officer  was  called  upon  to  take  his  proper 
place  with  his  own  battalion,  and  to  obey  the 
words  of  command  presently  issued  by  the  few 
remaining  veterans  of  the  various  regiments. 

Naturally  the  parade  began  and   ended   in 


40  MOSCOW 

confusion ;  a  wild  medley  of  nursemaids  and 
perambulators,  of  crying  children  and  bewildered 
boys ;  all  officers  who  were  unable  to  perform 
the  duties  expected  of  them  were  called  upon 
to  resign  their  commissions,  and  with  this 
historic  review  the  millennium  of  Catherine's 
baby-guards  came  to  a  timely  end. 

Young  Sasha  Maximof,  Vera's  betrothed,  had 
been  duly  enrolled,  like  most  of  his  fellows  of 
boyar  rank,  among  Catherine's  officers  of  the 
sinecure  regiments,  but  his  mother,  unlike  many 
of  the  parents  of  those  young  warriors,  had 
taken  neither  fright  nor  offence  at  the  action  of 
the  Emperor  Paul,  but  like  a  sensible  woman 
had  entered  her  son's  name  as  a  cadet  in  the 
newly  organised  institution  for  the  education  of 
youths  desirous  of  entering  the  army  as  bona- 
fide  officers.  Sasha  had  been  but  six  years  old 
at  the  time  of  the  catastrophe,  and  had  then 
enjoyed  the  rank  and  pay  of  a  captain.  He 
had,  of  course,  resigned  his  commission,  but 
had  rejoined  as  a  cadet  of  the  Imperial  Corps 
upon  reaching  the  age  of  fourteen.  He  was 
now  nineteen  and  one  of  the  seniors  of  the  estab- 
lishment— a  nice-looking  youth  of  medium  height 
and  good  appearance.  If  one  may  use  a  modern 
expression  to  describe  Sasha's  attitude  towards 


MOSCOW  41 

life  at  this  time,  he  may  be  said  to  have  "  fancied 
himself"  to  a  very  considerable  extent;  he  was, 
indeed,  a  fair  example  of  the  Russian  youth 
of  his  day,  when  over  the  uncouth  and  bearlike 
manners  of  the  old  Muscovite  type  was  gradually 
stealing  the  veneer  of  Western  civilisation. 

Sasha  Maximof  was  a  lady's  man ;  he  was 
generally  liked  and  admired  by  the  women, 
and  knew  it.  He  had  already  been  through 
several  affaires  du  cosur,  and  if  he  ever  recol- 
lected the  fact  that  he  was  a  betrothed  man,  it 
is  probable  that  he  thought  lightly  of  the  matter, 
regarding  the  whole  question  as  one  of  expedi- 
ency. The  dower  to  be  had  with  his  fiancee 
was  a  handsome  one,  he  knew  ;  but  there  were 
plenty  of  good  dowers  available  for  a  man  like 
himself;  he  might  eventually  decide  to  regard 
his  engagement  as  binding — it  depended  upon 
the  girl ;  mediocrity  would  not  suit  him. 

"It  will  be  a  wonder,  or  rather  she  will  have 
to  be  one,"  he  remarked  one  day  when  his 
mother,  observing  his  attitude  towards  some 
damsel  whom  he  was  accustomed  to  meet  in 
society,  casually  reminded  him  of  the  existing 
contract  to  which  he  was  a  party.  "  She  will 
have  to  be  a  wonder  if  that  silly  betrothal  is  to 
come  to  anything !  " 


CHAPTER  V. 

LITTLE  sixteen-year-old  Vera  Demidof  looked 
very  well  in  her  stylish  Parisian  clothes.  She 
was  a  pretty  girl  of  true  Russian  type,  and, 
Russian  like,  was  an  adept  in  the  art  of  keep- 
ing up  a  constant  flow  of  light  talk,  half  in  her 
native  language  and  half  in  French,  a  fashion 
in  polite  society  then  as  now.  Vera  was  with 
her  mother,  and  with  them  stood  or  moved  about 
among  the  crowd  of  visitors  at  the  annual  function 
of  the  corps  of  cadets  a  young  cousin,  one  Con- 
stantine  Demidof,  a  youthful  member  of  the  corps. 
"Tell  me  the  notables,"  said  Vera,  "especi- 
ally the  military  ones,  but  don't  expect  me  to 
admire  any  of  our  poor  Russians  after  the 
smart-looking  French  officers !  As  for  your 
cadets — bah  ! — you  are  bigger  than  the  French, 
perhaps,  but  clumsier ;  and  your  manners  com- 
pared with  theirs — the  cadets  here,  I  mean- 
on  !  you  are  bears,  my  friend,  and  they  are 
angels.  Imagine,  Constantine,  mon  ami,  I 

have  spoken  to  Ney — the  bravest  of  the  brave 

42 


MOSCOW  43 

— only  think  of  it ;  and  one  day  the  Emperor 
himself,  beautiful  man,  smiled  upon  me." 

"Oh,  come,"  said  Constantine,  "if  you  speak 
of  emperors  and  beautiful  men,  your  Napoleon 
is  a  mere  tub-man,  and  not  to  be  named  in  com- 
parison with  our  Emperor.  You  have  not  yet 
seen  Alexander  ?  A  very  different  person  from 
his  unbeautiful  father  Paul,  wait  and  see,  he  will 
be  here  in  five  minutes.  Your  Sasha  Maximof 
is  to  receive  a  prize  at  his  hands,  lucky  Sasha! " 

"  Sasha  a  prize — oh,  I  am  glad  !  "  exclaimed 
Vera — "  and  for  what  ?  " 

"  For  fencing ;  he  is  the  best  fencer  of  all 
here  ;  see,  he  is  still  busy  with  that  girl,  his 
latest  craze ;  in  charity  we  will  hope  that  he 
has  not  yet  seen  you." 

"  If  he  did,  I  think  he  would  not  recognise 
me ;  he  does  not  know  I  am  here  and  it  is  five 
years  since  we  met.  Presently  you  shall  go  and 
bring  him  to  me,  but  not  yet.  Tell  me,  Con- 
stantine, is  Sasha  liked  here  ?  " 

Constantine  glanced  at  his  cousin  ;  he  caught 
her  eye  and  smiled. 

"Some  people  like  him,  I  suppose,"  he  said. 

"  Of  whom  Constantine  Demidof  is  evidently 
not  one,"  said  Vera,  laughing  merrily.  "  Why 
not,  my  friend  ?  " 


44  MOSCOW 

"  How  should  I  ?  I  scarcely  know  him,  he  is 
two  years  senior  to  me  here,  and  that  means 
much." 

"  I  see.  I  should  say,  to  look  at  him,  that 
he  has  a  good  opinion  of  himself." 

"  Oh,  he  certainly  has  that,"  Constantine 
laughed.  "  He  is  thought  good-looking,  you 
know,  and  the  girls  flatter  him,  I  suppose." 

"  Nevertheless  his  clothes  fit  very  badly.  In 
Parisian  clothes  he  might  look  well,  yes,  he  is 
not  bad  ;  you  shall  bring  him  to  me,  presently, 
but  do  not  say  who  I  am ;  you  shall  say  that 
there  is  a  lady  who  desires  to  have  him  pre- 
sented to  her." 

At  this  moment  the  Emperor  Alexander 
entered  the  room,  preceded  by  an  aide-de-camp, 
who  first  cleared  the  space  about  the  doorway 
in  order  that  his  Majesty  might  enter  with 
effect,  which  he  certainly  did. 

The  Emperor  was  a  splendid-looking  man, 
tall  and  straight  as  a  pine  stem,  and  handsome 
withal ;  there  was  perhaps  but  a  single  man  in 
all  Russia  who  was  his  superior  in  manly  bear- 
ing and  in  stately  presence,  and  that  was  his 
younger  brother  and  successor,  Nicholas,  who 
had  not  his  equal  in  Europe. 

"  Oh,    he    is    splendid ! "    murmured    Vera 


MOSCOW  45 

Demidof,  gazing  in  wonder  and  admiration — 
"  what  a  man !  Oh,  the  sight  of  him  makes 
me  proud  to  be  Russian  after  all ! " 

"  Ha !  it  is  good  to  hear  you  praise  some- 
thing which  is  not  French.  Your  '  little 
Corporal '  would  look  but  a  poor  creature 
beside  him,  come,  admit  it ! " 

"  Bah !  one  thinks  of  something  else  than 
inches  when  one  sees  Napoleon ;  nevertheless 
in  the  Tsar  Alexander  God  has  made  a  very 
fine  man ;  they  speak  well  of  him  in  Paris  as 
a  wise  ruler." 

The  Emperor  now  made  a  short  speech  to 
the  cadets,  after  which  he  distributed  the  prizes, 
saying  a  word  or  two  of  praise  or  encourage- 
ment to  each  successful  candidate.  Sasha 
Maximof  returned  to  his  place,  flushed  and 
self-conscious,  holding  the  sword  of  honour 
which  the  Tsar  had  presented  to  him  with  a 
word  of  approbation. 

"  How  proud  he  looks!"  said  Vera ;  "I  am 
glad  he  has  won  it  and  that  he  has  been  a 
success  here." 

Afterwards,  when  the  Tsar  and  his  suite  had 
departed,  she  sent  young  Constantine  to  fetch 
Sasha  to  her  side,  in  order  that  she  might 
renew  her  acquaintance  with  him. 


46  MOSCOW 

"  Don't  say  who  it  is,"  she  called  after  him 
as  he  moved  away,  somewhat  unwillingly,  to 
obey  her  behest.  Constantine  adored  his  cousin 
and  would  far  rather  have  had  her  to  himself. 

"  A  lady  wishes  to  have  me  presented  ? " 
said  Sasha,  frowning  slightly.  "Well,  I'll  come 
presently  ;  I  am  busy  entertaining  another  lady, 
as  you  perceive  ; — stop,  which  is  she  ? " 

Constantine  pointed  Vera  out. 

"What,  that  child?"  exclaimed  Maximof. 
"Tell  her  I  have  no  time  to  talk  to  children." 

"  She  isn't  a  child,  and  it's  not  likely  I  will 
give  such  a  message,"  said  Constantine  angrily. 
"If  you  knew "  he  paused. 

"Well— what?" 

"If  you  knew  who  she  is,"  stammered 
Constantine,  "  you'd  go  to  her." 

"  Why,  is  she  anybody  very  particular  ? " 
asked  the  other,  devoting  a  second  and  more 
interested  glance  in  Vera's  direction. 

"  You  can  only  learn  all  about  her  by  becom- 
ing personally  acquainted  with  her,"  said  the 
younger  lad.  "  She  is  somebody  rather  par- 
ticular." 

"  Well,  I'll  come,  if  I  can,  later ;  there  are  so 
many  who  want  to  speak  to  one  on  an  occasion 
like  this." 


MOSCOW  47 

Sasha  Maximof  s  companion  had  listened  with 
amusement  to  this  conversation  ;  she,  too,  had 
glanced  at  Vera  and  had  recognised  her  in- 
stantly, for  the  circumstances  of  the  betrothal  of 
these  two  were  a  matter  of  common  knowledge. 

"  I  see  you  are  looking  at  the  young  lady 
who  desires  my  acquaintance,"  said  Sasha, 
when  Constantine  had  departed ;  "do  you 
happen  to  know  who  she  is  ?  " 

"  Do  you  seriously  mean  to  say  that  you  do 
not  ?  "  asked  the  girl,  laughing. 

"I'm  afraid  I  cannot  recall  her  name,  though 
I  believe  I  have  seen  the  face  somewhere ;  one 
does  not  take  special  notice  of  children ;  I 
cannot  imagine  why  she  should  be  any  one  in 
particular,  as  that  little  fool  declared.  Of  course 
one  knows  every  one  who  is  any  body  !  Well, 
who  is  she  ?  " 

"  First  tell  me,  do  you  consider  her  pretty  ?  " 

"  Passable — but  of  course  a  mere  child  ;  she 
may  improve  and  may  go  the  other  way.  She's 
Russian,  of  course  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  but  has  been  absent  from  Russia 
for  five  years.  Her  clothes  are  of  the  last 
French  mode — she  has  French  relations — have 
I  shed  light  liberally  enough  to  illuminate  your 
intelligence  ?  " 


48  MOSCOW 

"  She  is  Vera  Demidof,  you  mean  ;  I  did  not 
know  she  had  returned.  Well,  she  has  come 
too  soon,  she  is  a  child,  I  will  say  neither  yes 
nor  no  to  her  until  I  can  judge  of  her  when  full 
grown."  Sasha  flushed  and  looked  aggrieved. 
His  companion  laughed. 

"  You  are  not  a  very  ardent  fiancd,"  she  said. 
"  Remember,  it  is  your  duty  to  love  her ;  she 
will  expect  to  be  greeted  radiantly,  to  hear 
words  of  endearment,  delight  at  her  unexpected 
return,  and  so  forth  ;  compose  your  features,  my 
friend,  you  are  frowning  ;  look  pleased,  ardent, 
full  of  affection,  and  so  go  and  do  your  duty." 

"  You  speak  foolishly ;  it  is  not  for  you  to 
bid  me  perform  this  foolery,  you  who  know 
that  my  heart  contains  but  one  image.  You 
must  be  aware  that  my  betrothal  is  a  mere 
farce,  a  thing  to  be  shaken  off  as  easily  as 
assumed.  I  shall  speak  to  the  girl — courtesy 
demands  it,  but  I  shall  pretend  no  affection." 

"  Poor  child,  she  will  be  heart-broken ;  see 
how  lovingly  she  gazes  at  you  even  now ! " 

Sasha  looked,  but  Vera's  gaze  did  not  strike 
him  as  being  aptly  described  by  the  word 
''loving";  on  the  contrary,  though  she  turned 
her  head  when  she  observed  that  she  was 
watched,  he  was  in  time  to  surprise  what 


MOSCOW  49 

appeared  to  him  to  be  an  indignant  rather  than 
a  languishing  expression. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  Vera  was  very  angry 
indeed.  Constantine  had  returned  to  her  shy 
and  shamefaced. 

"Well — is  he  coming?  What  did  he  say?" 
she  had  asked. 

"His  vanity  is  terrible,"  said  Constantine, 
"and  his  manners  are  even  worse." 

"  How — what  do  you  mean — does  he  recog- 
nise me  and  refuse  to  renew  our  acquaintance  ?  " 

"  Oh  no,  he  did  not  suspect  who  you  were. 
He  said  you  were  a  mere  child  and  hinted  that 
he  had  no  time  to  waste  upon  children." 

"  Children!  "  repeated  Vera  indignantly  ;  "and 
I  in  my  seventeenth  year !  Bah — he  has,  as 
you  say,  no  manners.  So  he  has  refused  to  be 
presented." 

"  Not  quite  that !  '  I  will  come,  if  I  can,  later,' 
he  said ;  I  think  he  is  much  absorbed,  at 
present,  by  the  lady  at  his  side  ;  it  is  a  different 
one,  with  him,  every  month." 

"  I  will  wait  for  half  an  hour,  and  then,  if  he 
comes  not,  you  shall  take  me  away,  Constantine," 
said  Vera ;  and  though  the  lad  at  her  side 
protested  against  her  doing  Maximof  so  much 
honour,  she  insisted  upon  staying. 

4 


50  MOSCOW 

Presently,  however,  seeing  that  Sasha  showed 
signs  of  crossing  the  room  in  order  to  approach 
her,  she  said  quickly  : — 

"  See,  Constantine,  now  he  comes ;  when  it 
is  quite  clear  that  his  intention  is  to  speak  to 
me,  I  will  rise  and  you  shall  give  me  your  hand 
to  escort  me  away !  " 

"  Good,"  exclaimed  her  cousin  delightedly. 
"  Yes,  that's  the  way  he  should  be  treated — see, 
he  is  approaching — come !  " 

The  two  young  cousins  rose  and  passed  down 
the  room,  almost  meeting  Sasha  Maximof,  who 
stopped,  obviously  expecting  them  to  do  the 
same.  "  Demidof,"  he  said,  "be  so  kind  as  to 
present  me  to  your  friend." 

Vera  passed  on,  taking  no  notice  whatever. 
Constantine  looked  round,  over  his  shoulder. 

"  You  will  have  to  wait  now,  my  friend,  until 
she  is  a  little  older,"  he  said,  and  Vera  pinched 
his  arm  with  delight. 

"  Bravo,  cousin,"  she  said,  "  that  was  splendid." 

"  It  was  rather  daring,"  said  Constantine, 
somewhat  ruefully,  "to  a  senior  cadet ;  I  don't 
know  what  will  happen  to  me." 

Sasha  returned  to  his  charmer,  who,  unfortu- 
nately, had  witnessed  his  discomfiture. 

"You've  met  your  match,  my  friend!"  she 


MOSCOW  51 

laughed  ;  "  she's  decidedly  pretty,  too,  when  one 
sees  her  closely." 

"  She's  an  impudent  little  minx  at  any  rate," 
said  Sasha,  laughing  also,  though  somewhat 
artificially,  and  at  the  same  time  flushing  hotly  ; 
he  was  not  used  to  rebuffs  from  the  fair  sex. 
"  By  such  conduct — revealing  a  tendency  to  bad 
manners — she  commits  felo  de  se  as  regards 
— well — a  certain  object  she  has  in  view." 

On  the  way  home  Vera,  following  up  some 
train  of  thought,  remarked  to  her  cousin  that 
it  was  a  pity  Sasha  Maximof  was  so  good- 
looking  ;  to  which  Constantine  replied  that  he 
did  not  see  much  to  admire  in  the  fellow. 


4* 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  Boyar  Demidof,  though  not  by  profession 
a  diplomat,  had  procured  for  himself  an  appoint- 
ment as  Attache  to  the  Embassy  in  Paris,  in 
order  to  be  near  his  daughter  as  well  as  his 
married  sister.  Vera's  presence  in  St.  Peters- 
burg was  in  the  nature  of  a  flying  visit.  She 
would  return  with  her  mother  to  Paris  in  a 
month  or  two. 

During  that  period  she  saw  little  of  Sasha 
Maximof.  He  called  upon  the  Demidofs  once 
or  twice,  but  was  obviously  but  little  attracted 
by  Vera,  whom  he  treated  as  a  child,  and  from 
whom  he  did  not  attempt  to  conceal  the  fact 
that  he  had  on  hand  more  than  one  affaire  de 
c&ur  and  that  he  thought  but  little,  if  anything, 
of  the  contract  entered  into  by  their  respective 
fathers  when  both  of  the  principal  parties  were 
too  young  to  understand  the  nature  of  the  pro- 
ceedings. 

Vera  began  by  treating  Sasha  with  much 
52 


MOSCOW  53 

hauteur,  desiring  to  punish  him  for  his  indiffer- 
ence ;  but  when  it  became  clear  to  her  that  he 
cared  nothing  whether  she  bore  herself  haughtily 
or  kindly,  and  was,  indeed,  very  little  interested 
in  her,  she  began,  with  the  inconsistency  of 
human  nature,  to  realise  that  whether  she 
would  have  it  so  or  no  her  interest  in  him  grew, 
and  with  it  the  recognition  that  the  young  man 
was  undoubtedly  very  good-looking  and  had  a 
certain  attractiveness  about  him.  Before  Vera 
returned  to  Paris  Sasha  Maximof  had  quite  made 
up  his  mind  that  he  was  far  too  good  to  waste 
himself  upon  the  commonplace  little  person  his 
father  had  seen  fit,  without  consulting  his  wishes, 
to  select  for  his  partner  in  life.  He  intended  to 
do  much  better.  The  Countess,  his  mother, 
was  inclined  to  agree  with  him.  He  consulted 
her  upon  the  question  as  to  whether  a  contract 
of  marriage  so  made  was  binding  or  not. 

"If  both  parties  desire  to  annul  it,"  the 
Countess  thought,  "  surely  no  one  would  com- 
pel them  to  hold  to  it." 

"  The  question  is,"  said  Sasha,  "  will  the 
girl  agree  to  annul  it  ?  The  match  is  a  good 
one,  from  her  point  of  view ;  I  don't  suppose 
there's  much  harm  done  yet,  in  a  personal  way, 
I  mean,  for  we  have  scarcely  met  and  I  certainly 


54  MOSCOW 

have  not  gone  out  of  my  way  to  be  in  any  way 
attractive  to  her." 

"  Go  and  see  the  girl  and  talk  it  over  with 
her,"  suggested  the  Countess,  and  this  advice 
Sasha  presently  followed. 

He  called  upon  Vera  and  plunged  quickly 
into  the  business  on  hand,  though  he  began 
somewhat  diffidently,  for,  though  in  speaking 
with  his  mother  he  had  taken  for  granted  that 
the  girl  could  scarcely  have  fallen  in  love  with 
him  yet,  Sasha,  in  the  secret  realms  of  his  inner 
consciousness,  was  by  no  means  so  assured  of 
the  matter ;  indeed,  he  was  strongly  of  opinion 
that  no  girl  could  see  him  and  pass  entirely  un- 
scathed through  the  ordeal. 

Somewhat  to  his  disgust  he  could  detect  no 
sign  of  regret  or  disappointment  in  Vera's 
attitude ;  on  the  contrary,  he  was  not  at  all 
sure  that  she  was  not  as  anxious  as  himself  to 
be  relieved  from  the  foolish  obligation  imposed 
upon  both  of  them  as  children. 

"  I  never  could  understand  what  was  the  ob- 
ject of  our  honoured  fathers  in  making  so  foolish 
an  arrangement,"  said  Sasha  ;  "  my  idea  is  that 
living  down  in  the  wilds  as  they  did,  they  were 
so  put  to  it  for  amusement  that  they  invented 
this  as  a  pastime  ;  it  would  be  interesting,  they 


MOSCOW  55 

thought,  to  watch  our  affection  bud  and  blossom 
and  so  on ;  but  of  course,  as  you  know,  my 
father  died  and  neither  my  mother  nor  I  ever 
lived  in  the  country  again,  while  you  went  to 
Paris.  Of  course  if  we  had  met  constantly, 
living  close  to  one  another,  and  never  seeing 
any  one  else,  it  might  have  been  different." 

Vera  suddenly  burst  out  laughing  at  this 
point. 

"  You  mean  that  if  neither  of  us  had  ever 
met  any  other  young  people  besides  our  two 
selves  we  might  one  day  have  come  to  like  one 
another?  Believe  me,  Alexander  Petrovitch, 
I  am  far  from  being  so  conceited  as  to  suppose 
you  could  ever  have  learned  to  admire  me. 
Is  this,  then,  your  theory :  that  if,  for  instance, 
a  man  and  a  woman  were  thrown  together  upon 
a  desert  island,  they  would  be  bound  eventually 
to  fall  in  love  with  one  another  ?  On  the  con- 
trary, I  should  think  they  would  soon  be  wearied 
to  death  by  one  another's  society." 

"  I  did  not  mean  that  at  all,"  said  Sasha, 
flushing  rather  angrily,  for  it  occurred  to  him 
that  his  amour  propre  was  in  some  way  being 
attacked.  "  I  meant  that  if  we  had  seen  more 
of  one  another  than  we  have,  it  might  have 
been  quite  a  different  matter.  You  might  have 


56  MOSCOW 

liked  me,  which  I  see  is  not  now  the  case,  and 
of  course  I  might  have  fallen  in  love  with  you." 

"  Which  also  is  certainly  not  the  case  as  any 
one  might  perceive,"  laughed  Vera. 

"  I  am  not  pretending  that  it  is  ;  I  could  not 
very  well." 

"  For  after  all  I  am  a  mere  child,"  she  said. 

"  I  see  you  cannot  forgive  me  that  expression. 
Why  should  it  offend  you  ?  You  are  not  fully 
grown  up.  However,  I  apologise  for  using  it 
if  you  dislike  it.  Well  now,  I  think  I  have 
made  my  meaning  clear ;  I  do  not  love  you — 
indeed,  I  may  tell  you  that  I  have  fallen  in  love 
elsewhere,  for  which  you  can  scarcely  blame 
me,  since  you  have  never  given  me  the  oppor- 
tunity to  lose  my  heart  where  our  revered 
parents  desired  that  it  should  be  lost ;  and  of 
course  the  same  may  be  said  of  you  ;  you  have 
had  no  opportunity  of  learning  to  like  me." 

"  For  which  I  certainly  ought  to  be  most 
grateful,"  said  Vera,  "under  the  circumstances. 
How  terrible  if  one  of  us  had  fallen  in  love 
and  the  other  not!  If  it  had  been  I,  I  must 
have  sacrificed  my  heart's  happiness,  for  of 
course  I  could  not  well  have  admitted  the 
pathetic  truth.  You  would  have  gone  away 
and  never  known ! " 


MOSCOW  57 

"Well,  at  any  rate,  we  are  fortunately  quite 
agreed  upon  the  subject,"  replied  Sasha,  who 
was  not  enjoying  the  conversation  and  wished 
it  over.  "  And  since  we  are  agreed  that  the 
betrothal  was  a  mistake  and  that  we  shall  both 
be  happier  if  we  annul  the  agreement  and  go 
upon  our  respective  ways  in  life  in  pursuit  of 
our  respective  ideals  of  happiness,  I  now  sug- 
gest to  you  that  the  foolish  document  be  torn 
up." 

"  By  all  means,"  said  Vera  ;  "  tear  it  up,  if  you 
have  it." 

"  Yes,  I  have  it.  I  am  sorry,  Vera,  that 
things  should  have  turned  out  as  they  have  ; 
neither  of  us  is  to  blame.  As  I  said  before,  if 
we  had  seen  more  of  one  another " 

"It  would  have  been  an  exceedingly  danger- 
ous thing  for  me,  is  that  what  you  would  imply?" 
asked  Vera,  laughing. 

The  girl  looked  so  handsome  as  she  said  the 
words,  her  eyes  aflame  and  a  heightened  colour 
lending  a  wonderful  charm  to  her  somewhat 
pallid  Russian  complexion,  that  Sasha  stared 
for  a  moment  in  surprise  before  he  answered. 

"It  might  have  been  dangerous  for  either  of 
us,"  he  said  ;  "for  though  you  are  only  a  child, 
you  are  a  very  pretty  one," 


58  MOSCOW 

Vera  curtsied  pertly  and  laughed.  "In  every 
way  the  document  is  a  horribly  dangerous  thing 
then,"  she  said ;  "  destroy  it  by  all  means, 
Alexander  Petrovitch.  You  will  now  have  a 
free  hand  with  the  lady  whose  name  you  have 
not  mentioned.  How  relieved  she  will  be  to 
hear  that  I  have  given  you  a  certificate  of  dis- 
charge." 

"As  to  that,"  replied  Sasha,  flushing,  "every 
one  who  knows  of  our  betrothal  laughs  at  it. 
Two  persons  thus  bound,  they  say,  would  be 
sure  to  loathe  one  another  long  before  the  time 
came  to  marry,  simply  because  they  are  bound." 

"  But  we  agreed  just  now  that  if  we  had  seen 
more  of  one  another,  each  would  probably  have 
found  the  other  irresistible,"  Vera  laughed;  "let 
us  hold  to  this  pleasant  conclusion,  it  is  more 
flattering  to  both  of  us  than  the  other.  We 
will  leave  it  at  this,  that  I  might  have  stood 
well  in  your  regard,  one  day,  but  for  the  fact 
that  another  lady  stands  better,  having  sup- 
planted me  in  time.  As  for  yourself,  except 
for  my  good  fortune  in  being  a  mere  child,  I 
must,  of  course,  have  lost  my  heart  at  first  sight, 
this,  I  understand,  being  the  usual  fate  of  my 
sex." 

"  You    are    pleased    to   jest,    Mademoiselle 


MOSCOW  59 

Vera "  said  Sasha,  uncertain  whether  to  feel 
elated  or  angry.  "  It  is  time  I  departed  ;  until 
the  contract  is  destroyed  we  are  still  betrothed  ; 
may  I  kiss  your  hand  ? " 

"The  betrothal  ended  at  the  moment  of 
mutual  agreement.  Farewell,  Alexander  Petro- 
vitch,  and  a  happy  ending  to  your  courtship." 

"  That  girl  will  grow  up  into  a  lovely  woman," 
thought  Sasha  as  he  strode  away  ;  "  but  what  a 
little  tigress  she  looked  more  than  once.  She 
is  angry  with  me  for  wishing  to  annul  the  con- 
tract." 

"  I  don't  see  why  it  should  be  actually  de- 
stroyed," he  reflected  later,  fingering  the  docu- 
ment. "  Why  not  keep  it  in  case  of  accidents  ? 
A  year  or  two  hence  I  may  be  heart  free,  and 
she  may  be  uncommonly  handsome — I  think 
the  paper  may  remain  for  the  present." 

He  put  it  back  in  his  desk  and  sat  thinking. 

"The  little  devil  was  laughing  at  me  all 
along,"  he  said  presently  ;  "it  was  pique,  simply 
pique.  She'll  be  a  pretty  woman,  that's  certain ! " 

As  for  Vera,  she  felt  forlorn  and  unhappy.  She 
was  not  in  the  least  in  love,  but  for  better  or 
worse  she  had  been  accustomed  lifelong  to  look 
upon  this  man  as  her  husband-to-be,  and  now 
the  air-castle  had  fallen  in  ruins,  There  was  a 


60  MOSCOW 

sudden  gap,  an  empty  space  in  her  life,  and  she 
felt  lonely  and  deserted. 

She  actually  cried  over  the  matter  and  this 
did  her  a  world  of  good.  "  He's  certainly 
good-looking,"  was  the  conclusion  she  now 
arrived  at ;  "  but,  as  Constantine  said,  his 
vanity  is  terrible.  I  don't  think  I  could  have 
borne  it !  " 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A  WELL-KNOWN  establishment  in  a  suburb  of 
Paris,  in  the  early  part  of  last  century,  was  the 
fencing-school  of  old  Pierre  Dupre\  maitre 
d'armes  and  retired  Major  in  the  French  army. 
Old  Pierre  was  growing  somewhat  old  for  the 
personal  exercise  of  his  art,  but  he  could  still 
superintend  the  practice  of  his  pupils,  who 
fenced  with  his  assistants,  and  give  such  advice 
as  they  could  receive  from  no  other  swordsman 
in  all  Paris. 

Of  assistants  he  had  four,  one  a  fine  young 
fellow  named  Karl  Havet,  the  second  an  equally 
excellent  exponent  of  the  beautiful  art  he  taught, 
one  Georges  Maux.  The  other  two  helpers 
were,  strange  to  say,  females,  strapping  fine 
girls,  both,  and  splendid  swordswomen,  old 
Pierre's  daughters. 

How  it  befel  that  his  girls  had  become  such 
adepts  in  their  father's  profession,  and  why,  are 
matters  easily  explained. 

It  had  been  the  greatest  grief  to  the  old  man 

61 


62  MOSCOW 

and  a  bitter  grievance  against  destiny  when,  at 
the  birth  of  his  first  child,  he  learned  that  he 
was  the  father  of  a  girl.  When  the  second  and 
last  child  made  its  appearance  and  proved,  like 
its  sister,  to  be  of  the  wrong  sex,  he  was  in 
despair.  He  had  longed  for  a  son  to  train  in 
the  use  of  arms  which  he  should  wield  in  his 
country's  honour. 

"  Bring  them  up  as  boys,"  some  one  suggested, 
"  they  are  fine  girls  both  of  them,  and  would 
make  splendid  boys." 

From  the  moment  that  this  idea  took  root  in 
his  mind,  old  Pierre  found  consolation.  He 
adopted  the  suggestion  in  toto.  The  girls, 
while  still  young  children,  were  dressed  as 
boys,  taught  as  boys,  treated  as  boys,  and  per- 
haps almost,  though  not  quite,  loved  as  boys. 
From  the  earliest  day  upon  which  their  little 
hands  could  hold  and  manipulate  a  rapier,  he 
taught  them  to  fence,  and  now — at  the  age  of 
nineteen  and  twenty — the  girls — Louise  and 
Marie — could  hold  their  own  with  almost  any 
swordsman  in  Paris. 

Though  no  longer  dressed  in  male  attire,  old 
Pierre's  daughters  still  wore  garments  as  nearly 
allied  to  the  fashion  of  those  worn  by  men  as 
was  consistent  with  propriety.  The  girls  looked 


MOSCOW  63 

as  like  men  as  handsome  girls  could  look  ;  they 
associated  entirely  with  men,  talked  and  thought 
like  men,  were  men  to  all  practical  purposes, 
excepting  in  one  particular :  their  women's 
hearts  remained  to  them.  One,  Marie,  was  en- 
gaged to  marry  young  Karl  Havet,  to  whom  she 
was  devotedly  attached,  much  to  the  chagrin  of 
her  father,  who  regretted  Marie's  "weakness" 
as  a  sad  falling  away  from  the  state  of  grace  to 
which  his  daughter  had  attained.  To  have  been 
brought  up  as  a  man  and  to  have  reached  the 
point  of  perfection,  or  near  it,  in  the  most  manly 
of  all  exercises,  and  then  to  exhibit  the  weak- 
ness of  a  silly  woman  by  falling  in  love — "  Bah  !  " 
said  old  Pierre,  in  speaking  of  it  to  his  friends, 
"it  is  sad — it  is  cruel — it  is  incredible !  " 

Nevertheless,  the  evil  existed  and  must  be 
recognised  and  put  up  with.  The  pair  were 
engaged  and  within  a  month  they  would  marry. 

As  for  the  second  daughter,  Louise,  her 
father's  favourite,  his  pride  and  joy — for  not 
only  was  she  a  little  taller,  a  little  stronger,  a 
little  more  skilful  with  the  rapier  than  her  sister, 
but  also  possessed  the  crowning  glory,  in  his 
eyes,  of  a  deep  contralto  speaking-voice,  which 
added  a  point  to  her  score  of  manly  virtues — 
Louise,  too,  though  Pierre  guessed  it  not,  had 


64  MOSCOW 

fallen  a  victim  to  the  universal  weakness  of 
womankind ;  she,  too,  had  lost  her  heart  to  a 
man.  Louise  did  not  tell  her  father  this  ;  she 
did  not  even  tell  Marie,  her  sister  ;  it  is  probable 
that  she  did  not  whisper  it  even  to  her  own 
heart  of  hearts,  and  yet  she  knew  well  that  it 
was  so :  she  was  in  love. 

After  all,  it  was  no  wonder  that  she  should 
have  become  attracted  by  one  or  other  of  the 
many  handsome  and  manly  youths  who  came 
either  to  learn  to  fence  or  to  practise  the  art, 
already  learned,  by  engaging  in  a  set-to  with 
one  of  Pierre's  accomplished  daughters.  Louise 
was  acquainted  with  half  a  hundred  of  the  most 
attractive  young  officers  in  Paris.  Nearly  every 
one  of  Napoleon's  marshals  had  visited  Pierre's 
establishment,  nay,  even  the  Emperor  himself 
had  been  there  and  had  laughed  and  applauded 
the  skill  of  the  two  demoiselles  cfarmes.  He 
had  spoken  to  Louise  and  praised  her  to  her 
face  which  was  nearer  the  sky  than  his  own  by 
four  inches  at  least. 

Yet  never,  until  a  certain  afternoon  in  this 
very  year  of  1812,  had  Louise  been  conscious 
of  the  quickening  of  her  pulses  in  response  to 
the  instincts  of  womanhood ;  for  though  as- 
suredly there  were  many  of  the  gilded  youths 


MOSCOW  65 

of  her  acquaintance  who  had  wasted  upon  her 
the  eloquence  of  the  eye,  of  the  whispering  lips, 
of  the  tightened  hand — all  these  things  had  left 
Louise  as  they  found  her,  calm  and  unmoved, 
and  wondering,  maybe,  at  the  foolishness  of  men 
who  could  waste  time  upon  such  silly  matters 
as  love-making  and  love-talking. 

The  fatal  afternoon  was  that  upon  which 
young  Baron  Henri  d'Estreville  first  visited  the 
fencing  establishment  in  order  to  see  for  himself 
the  skill  of  the  two  girls  with  whose  fame  as 
swords  worn  en  all  Paris  was  ringing. 

The  Baron  was  himself  a  first-class  swords- 
man, but  in  fencing  a  bout  with  Louise  he 
distinctly  had  the  worst  of  it,  a  fact  which  he 
was  himself  the  first  to  admit. 

This  was  a  good-looking  youth,  merry  and 
debonair,  an  officer  in  a  Lancer  regiment  and 
the  first  cousin  of  one  with  whom  we  are 
already  acquainted,  Vera  Demidof.  He  spoke 
with  Louise  both  before  and  after  the  fencing 
match,  and  for  some  reason  or  another  he 
took  her  fancy  as  no  other  man  had  done. 
D'Estreville  was  no  exception  to  the  rule  of 
young  men  of  his  age.  Louise  was  a  woman, 
young  and  handsome,  and  of  course  the  Baron 
employed  against  her  all  the  artillery  he  pos- 

5 


66  MOSCOW 

sessed.  Louise  had  thought  this  sort  of  thing 
only  silly  in  others ;  but  the  whispered  words, 
the  meaning  looks,  the  pressure  of  the  hand 
appeared  very  charming  when  these  measures 
were  employed  by  her  new  friend. 

The  Baron  said  he  would  come  again. 

"  You  beat  me  handsomely  to-day,"  he 
laughed,  "but  next  time  I  intend  to  turn  the 
tables ;  ah,  Mademoiselle,  it  was  not  the  rapier 
that  overthrew  me  to-day,  but  the  light  of  your 
eye,  the  beauty  of  your  face " 

To  his  bosom  friend  and  constant  companion, 
Paul  de  Tourelle,  the  Baron  said,  "  You  must 
come  down  to  Pierre  Dupre's  fencing  establish- 
ment and  see  those  girls  of  his  fence.  Also  you 
should  see  Louise's  eyes  and  complexion — by 
all  that's  bewitching,  they  are  splendid  !  You 
shall  admit  it !  As  for  her  fencing " 

Young  Paul  de  Tourelle  laughed.  "  Yes, 
you  shall  take  me  to  see  them,"  he  said ;  "I 
am  anxious  to  know  whether  their  skill  is 
really  so  great  as  it  is  said  to  be  by  their 
admirers.  As  for  her  eyes  and  the  rest  of  it, 
that  sort  of  thing  is  not  likely  to  have  much 
effect  upon  me  just  now,  for  reasons  well 
known  to  you." 

"  Poor    Paul !    nevertheless   come   and   see  ; 


MOSCOW  67 

when  a  man  is  so  hard  hit  as  you  seem  to  be 
this  time,  to  gaze  upon  something  equally  at- 
tractive may  do  him  good,  just  as  a  change  of 
air  is  beneficial  to  a  sick  man." 

''Equally  attractive!  beware  what  you  say, 
my  friend ;  such  words  savour  of  disrespect 
towards — some  one  ;  there  is  no  one  equally 
attractive,  and  cannot  be ;  you  speak  of  im- 
possibilities." 

"  I  retract  the  words,"  said  the  Baron,  laugh- 
ing;  "we  will  say  that  here  is  a  personality 
displaying  remarkable  attractions,  falling  short, 
however,  of  the  highest.  Joking  apart,  she  is 
a  splendid  woman,  strong  as  a  man,  handsome 
as  one  of  the  Graces,  and  she  fences — well — 
even  the  great  exponent  Paul  de  Tourelle 
must  look  to  his  laurels  if  he  measures  swords 
with  her." 

"  Ame  de  mon  £pee  !  is  it  so?"  exclaimed 
Paul,  flushing ;  Paul  was  acknowledged  to  be 
one  of  the  finest,  if  not  the  very  first  swords- 
man in  France.  "  That  is  a  thing  which  I 
cannot  afford  to  have  said  of  any  man,  still 
less  of  any  woman.  I  will  come  and  see,  my 
friend,  and  if  she  is  willing  we  will  try  a  bout." 

"  She  will  be  willing ;  fencing  is  the  breath 
of  life  to  her  ;  but  seriously,  if  you  fear  that 

5* 


68  MOSCOW 

your  reputation  might  suffer  by  defeat,  you 
must  do  your  best,  Paul ;  she  is  a  supreme 
mistress  of  the  art." 

"  Fear  not ;  I  will  remember  to  be  careful !  " 
laughed  the  other. 

When  the  Baron  visited  the  establishment  of 
old  Pierre  on  the  following  day  he  found  the 
fair  Louise  somewhat  inclined  to  avoid  him, 
or  at  any  rate  less  disposed  to  play  the  bon 
camarade  than  on  the  previous  occasion.  This 
attitude  was  the  direct  result  of  a  conver- 
sation between  old  Pierre  and  his  daughter 
Marie. 

"  I  am  no  longer  the  black  sheep,  mon  pere" 
said  Marie,  laughing.  "This  day  Louise  has 
also  shown  that  she  is  a  woman." 

"  What  mean  you  ? "  asked  the  old  man, 
looking  up  startled  from  his  occupation. 

"  Hitherto  Louise  has  been  with  our  visitors 
as  a  man  among  men  ;  this  day,  in  the  presence 
of  Monsieur  le  Baron,  she  has  behaved  as  a 
woman  in  the  presence  of  the  man  who  is  her 
soul's  affinity." 

"  I'll  not  believe  it  of  her,"  said  old  Pierre 
angrily  ;  "  because  you  have  been  a  fool,  Marie, 
and  proved  yourself  no  wiser  than  other  silly 
women,  you  would  have  me  believe  that  Louise 


MOSCOW  69 

can  be  equally  foolish.  I  will  speak  to  Louise  ; 
she  shall  belie  your  accusation." 

Louise  did  belie  it,  but  with  blushing  and 
much  confusion.  Possibly  her  father's  words 
were  the  first  intimation  to  her  heart  that  it 
was  no  longer  fancy-free. 

The  conversation  left  her  very  thoughtful, 
however,  and  very  silent ;  and  when  the  Baron 
arrived  with  De  Tourelle  and  other  friends  on 
the  following  day,  he  found  her — as  has  been 
said — somewhat  inclined  to  give  him  the  cold 
shoulder. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

AT  D'Estreville's  second  visit  to  old  Pierre 
Dupre's  he  was  accompanied  by  Paul  de 
Tourelle  and  by  Vera  Demidof,  now  a  beauti- 
ful girl  of  nineteen.  The  Baron  was  proud 
of  his  pretty  cousin,  between  whom  and  his 
friend  Paul  a  considerable  friendship  had  lately 
sprung  up. 

In  so  far  as  De  Tourelle  was  concerned,  his 
sentiments  towards  Vera  differed,  as  he  had 
found  to  his  surprise,  from  those  he  had  ever 
experienced  before  this  time  towards  any 
member  of  the  fair  sex.  Up  to  the  day  upon 
which  he  had  first  made  acquaintance  with 
Vera  Demidof,  Paul  had  looked  upon  women 
as  toys  created  for  the  delectation  and  amuse- 
ment of  mankind ;  he  was  always  glad  to  play 
with  them,  to  have  his  pleasure  in  their  society, 
but  not  to  take  them  seriously.  He  had  always 
found  young  women  in  his  own  class  charmed 
to  meet  him  upon  his  own  ground  ;  to  excurse 

with  him  as  far  as  he  was  pleased  to  go  into 

7o 


MOSCOW  71 

the  pleasant  glades  of  love-making,  but  to  take 
him  no  more  seriously  than  he  chose  to  be 
taken. 

With  Vera  it  was  otherwise.  From  the  first 
he  was  aware  that  here  was  a  creature  of  a 
different  make,  a  more  attractive  toy  than  any 
he  had  yet  set  himself  to  play  with,  and,  withal, 
one  which,  somehow,  was  extremely  difficult  to 
handle.  Paul  found  that  he  was  unable  to 
have  his  way  with  this  little  Russian  ;  she  was 
unlike  the  French  girls  he  was  accustomed  to  ; 
she  took  life  more  seriously,  moved  more  cau- 
tiously, maintained  an  attitude  of  "  stand-offish- 
ness "  which  at  first  puzzled  him  very  much  and 
perhaps  exasperated  him,  but  which  he  presently 
began  to  admire  and  respect. 

"  You'll  have  to  be  careful,  my  friend,"  Henri 
d'Estreville  had  told  Paul,  early  in  his  acquaint- 
ance with  Vera,  before  De  Tourelle  realised  that 
his  heart  was  in  danger ;  "Vera  is  not  like  our 
French  girls  ;  not  only  is  she  far  more  serious- 
minded,  but  also  she  is  a  fiancee,  after  a 
fashion." 

"A  fiancee? "  exclaimed  Paul,  laughing  bois- 
terously— "  Mademoiselle  Demidof  fiance'e  ?  To 
whom  ?  You  rave,  man  !  " 

"No,  it  is  true  ;  she  is  betrothed ;  observe 


72  MOSCOW 

that  I  added  '  after  a  fashion '.  She  was  be- 
trothed to  some  Russian  bear  as  a  child." 

"  Bah !  as  a  child !  and  the  bear  a  child  also  ? 
She  has  never  mentioned  to  me  this  young  bear 
of  hers.  You  speak  foolishly,  Henri,  mon  cher ; 
such  things  are  not  done." 

"Ask  her  for  yourself,"  Henri  laughed. 
"  For  the  matter  of  that,  fall  in  love  with  my 
cousin,  if  you  like.  I  would  rather  she  mated 
with  a  good  Frenchman  than  with  a — what  do 
you  call  them — a  Moujik  of  Russia." 

Paul  did  not,  however,  ask  Vera  as  to  her 
betrothal.  He  treated  the  matter  with  sufficient 
contempt  to  forget  all  about  it.  As  to  the 
second  half  of  Henri's  advice,  however,  he 
followed  it  to  the  letter,  and  fell  so  completely 
in  love  with  Vera  Demidof  that  he  was  himself 
astonished,  for  he  had  always  boasted  that  to 
fall  in  love  was  not  in  his  line,  and  was,  indeed, 
a  mistake  he  would  never  commit,  since  it  was 
his  pride  to  be  a  soldier  of  the  French  Army, 
and  he  possessed  ambitions  which  he  could  not 
afford  to  thwart  by  indulgence  in  such  foolishness 
as  love. 

Moreover,  Paul  not  only  fell  in  love  but  con- 
fessed the  fact  to  Vera  at  the  earliest  oppor- 
tunity. 


MOSCOW  73 

Vera  Demidof  had  listened  during  the  last 
year  or  two  to  some  half  a  dozen  similar  con- 
fessions from  the  gilded  youth  of  Paris.  She 
was,  indeed,  the  object  of  much  admiration  in 
the  gay  city.  But  whereas  Vera  had  listened 
and  simply  thanked  each  aspirant  for  his 
flattering  declaration,  regretting  that  she  was 
unable  to  respond  in  the  manner  he  would 
prefer,  she  gave  Paul  de  Tourelle  a  piece  of 
information  which  she  had  withheld  from  the 
rest. 

"  I  must  not  listen  to  such  things,"  she  said, 
"for  I  am  already  a  fiancee." 

Paul  suddenly  remembered  that  he  had  been 
informed  a  month  or  two  before  that  this  was  so. 

"  Betrothed  as  a  child  to  a  Russian  child 
whom  you  may  never  see  again,"  said  Paul ; 
"  I  have  heard  the  story.  For  God's  sake, 
Mademoiselle,  do  not  allow  so  foolish  a  matter 
to  stand  between  us." 

"  Monsieur  takes  too  much  for  granted,"  said 
Vera  coldly.  "  There  is  much  that  stands 
between  Monsieur  and  myself  besides  my  be- 
trothal." 

"  You  cannot  pretend  that  you  desire  to 
regard  that  betrothal  as  binding,  Mademoiselle  ; 
the  idea  is  preposterous." 


74  MOSCOW 

"  I  pretend  nothing,  Monsieur.  I  say  that, 
being  betrothed,  I  must  not  permit  myself  to 
listen  to  protestations  such  as  you  have  just 
made." 

Beyond  this  point  Paul  was  unable,  at  his 
first  attack,  to  push  his  advance.  On  subse- 
quent occasions  he  showed  more  discretion,  and 
took  nothing  for  granted.  He  did  not  retire 
from  his  position  as  suitor,  but  betook  himself 
to  graduate  for  her  love,  a  matter  which  he  had 
at  first  supposed  was  to  be  had  for  the  asking. 

By  this  time  the  two  were  great  friends.  Vera 
made  no  secret  of  her  partiality  for  De  Tourelle, 
whom  she  liked  very  much  better  than  any 
other  youth  of  his  standing  ;  but  on  the  rare 
occasions  when  Paul  hinted  that  friendship  was 
pleasant  but  lacked  finality,  Vera  would  shake 
her  head  and  remind  him  that  she  was  a  fiancee. 

"  There  are  dark  clouds  on  the  horizon,"  said 
Paul  on  one  occasion;  "our  little  Corporal 
threatens  to  fasten  his  fingers  about  the  throat 
of  your  big  Emperor  ;  we  shall  soon  be  en  route 
for  Moscow.  Be  sure  that  I  shall  seek  out  your 
fiance"  ;  it  shall  be  my  first  act  upon  reaching 
Moscow.  Is  your  fiance"  soldier  or  bourgeois  ?  " 

"  A  soldier  and  a  splendid  fencer  !  "  said  Vera, 
looking  out  of  the  window  and  far  away. 


MOSCOW  75 

"  Good,"  said  Paul ;  ''I  would  rather  fight  a 
man  than  kill  a  sheep." 

"  I  think  you  will  never  come  to  Moscow, 
and  I  pray  God  you  may  not,"  said  Vera  ;  "  that 
would  be  a  disaster  indeed." 

"  I  promise  you  it  should  be  a  disaster  for 
your  fiance","  said  Paul ;  but  it  is  probable  that 
she  heard  nothing  of  what  he  said ;  her  mind 
was  entirely  absorbed  by  this  new  and  over- 
whelming idea  :  that  Napoleon  threatened  Mos- 
cow— the  holy  city  of  her  own  race.  "  It  is  not 
a  real  danger  ? "  she  asked. 

"  What,  this  that  your  fianc6  must  run  ?  In- 
deed, it  is  a  very  real  danger." 

"  No,  no — this  war  you  speak  of — this  horrible 
quarrel  of  the  two  nations." 

"  They  say  that  Napoleon  has  almost  made 
up  his  mind  ;  already  the  conscription  is  in  full 
swing  ;  Russia  may  yield,  of  course ;  if  she 
does  not,  Moscow  will  be  a  French  city  by  this 
time  next  year." 

"  Man  Dieu  /•"  exclaimed  Vera,  hiding  her 
eyes  in  her  two  hands.  "  The  French  must  wade 
through  a  sea  of  Russian  blood  before  Moscow 
is  reached — it  is  horrible,  Monsieur,  this  thought 
of  yours." 

"  I  did  not  invent  it,  Mademoiselle  Vera;  all 


76  MOSCOW 

the  world  will  tell  you  that  politics  are  to-day 
looking  very  darkly." 

This  was  true  enough.  Vera  questioned  her 
father  presently  upon  the  subject,  and  learned 
many  things  which  caused  her  the  greatest 
anxiety,  for  Vera  was  a  patriotic  Russian,  and 
was  well  aware  that  war  with  France  must  end 
disastrously  for  her  beloved  country.  She  was 
French  enough  to  feel  that  to  be  arrayed  against 
the  terrible  Napoleon  was  to  court  certain  de- 
feat, so  tremendous  was  the  Emperor's  repu- 
tation among  his  own  people. 

With  regard  to  private  affairs,  when  Vera  had 
explained  to  Paul  that  she  was  already  a  fiancee 
and  must  therefore  refuse  to  listen  to  protesta- 
tions of  love,  she  had  spoken  the  truth. 

Only  lately  Alexander  Maximof  had  written 
to  her.  Maximof  had  heard  wonderful  reports 
from  Paris  of  Vera's  beauty  and  charm,  and  had 
congratulated  himself  that  he  had  had  the  good 
sense  to  keep  the  contract  of  betrothal  intact. 
It  had  only  now  occurred  to  him,  however,  that 
he  had  either  neglected  or  forgotten  to  inform 
Vera  that  he  had  not  destroyed  the  document, 
as  agreed  upon  at  their  last  interview,  three 
years  ago.  Hence  his  letter  to  Paris  at  this 
time. 


MOSCOW  77 

"  I  forgot  to  inform  you,"  Maximof  wrote, 
"that  upon  inquiry  at  the  notary's  office,  I 
learned  to  my  surprise  that  our  contract  of 
betrothal  could  not  be  destroyed  excepting  in 
presence  of  and  by  sworn  consent  of  both 
parties.  This  may  of  course  merely  amount  to 
a  formality  to  be  gone  through  at  your  next 
visit  to  Russia,  which  visit  is  likely  to  take  place 
sooner  than  you  had  intended,  if  political  prophets 
speak  truly ;  for  the  horizon  is  dark  indeed,  and 
in  case  of  a  rupture  between  the  Tsar  and  the 
Emperor,  your  father  would  doubtless  leave 
Paris  together  with  the  Ambassador  Kurakin. 
May  I  add,  that  I  look  forward  with  particular 
interest  to  our  next  meeting.  We  have  never 
met  as  adults,  and  if  all  we  hear  with  regard  to 
the  beautiful  Vera  Demidof  be  true,  I  may  yet 
have  cause  to  rejoice  that  our  parents  were 
longer-sighted  than  I  at  least  had  supposed. 
I  may  say,  further,  that  my  heart  is  disengaged. 
I  have  eschewed  the  follies  of  cadetdom.  ..." 

Vera  laughed  when  she  received  this  letter. 
The  fact  that  her  betrothal  was  still  uncancelled 
did  not  at  that  time  weigh  upon  her  in  the  least. 
As,  however,  her  friendship  with  Paul  de  Tour- 
elle  increased,  it  began  to  occur  to  her  that  cir- 
cumstances might  possibly  arise  which  would 


78  MOSCOW 

cause  her  to  regret  that  Alexander  Maximof 
had  not  torn  up  their  silly  contract,  as  he  had 
agreed  to  do.  Paul  de  Tourelle  had  not  greatly 
appealed  to  Vera's  fancy  at  first  acquaintance  ; 
she  had  disapproved  of  his  self-assurance,  his 
confident  manner ;  but  Paul  had  improved  of 
late  in  these  respects,  and  she  had  come  to  see 
beneath  the  veneer  of  mannerism  a  manliness 
and  strength  which  she  admired. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

VERA  went  to  old  Pierre  Dupre"'s  fencing 
establishment  with  her  cousin,  Henri  d'Estre- 
ville.  She  was  anxious  to  see  these  two  young 
women  of  whom  Paris  talked,  though  she  felt 
that  the  exhibition  of  their  skill  would  probably 
displease  her.  In  this  respect  she  soon  found 
that  she  was  mistaken.  Old  Dupr6's  pride  in 
his  daughters  amused  her,  and  the  girls  them- 
selves, especially  Louise,  greatly  attracted  her. 

Paul  de  Tourelle  undertook  to  fence  a  bout 
with  Marie,  the  eldest  girl,  an  undertaking 
which  he  found  considerably  less  of  a  walk  over 
than  he  had  expected.  He  held  his  own,  cer- 
tainly, but  was  obliged  to  put  forth  more  effort 
into  his  work  than  he  had  expected  to  be  called 
upon  to  display.  At  the  call  of  time  he  was  a 
point  or  two  to  the  good,  but  he  ended,  surprised 
and  a  little  mortified  that  he  should  have  been 
compelled  to  extend  himself  in  order  to  obtain 
this  result. 

During  the  bout  with  her  sister  Louise  sat 

79 


8o  MOSCOW 

beside  Vera  and  conversed  with  her,  while  the 
Baron,  who  glanced  constantly  in  her  direction, 
stood  with  Dupre  and  his  assistants  at  the  edge 
of  the  arena.  Louise  displayed  no  shyness  ; 
indeed  she  plied  Vera  with  questions  some  of 
which  Vera  found  rather  embarrassing.  Many 
of  them  referred  to  the  Baron,  whose  name 
Louise  mentioned  with  a  certain  hesitation.  He 
was  a  soldier  ?  and  had  fought  in  the  wars  with 
the  Emperor?  He  must  be  a  favourite  with 
men — and,  oh  yes,  this  undoubtedly,  with  the 
ladies ! 

And  Mademoiselle  herself,  she  moved  in  the 
great  world — ah,  it  must  be  pleasant  to  have 
the  entree  there !  Mademoiselle  was  doubtless 
fiancee  ?  Vera  admitted,  laughing,  that  this  was 
so  and  yet  not  so,  a  reply  which  puzzled  her 
companion  not  a  little. 

Louise  reflected.  "Ah,  Mademoiselle,"  she 
said,  "  perhaps  I  have  solved  the  conundrum- 
Mademoiselle  is  betrothed  to  her  cousin,  Mon- 
sieur le  Baron ;  but  betrothals  to  cousins,  as  all 
the  world  knows,  are  not  to  be  accounted  as 
serious  contracts ;  they  are  made  for  the  con- 
venience of  both,  but  are  not  intended  to  be  re- 
garded seriously  ? "  Louise  gazed  so  intently 
in  Vera's  eyes  as  she  put  forward  this  sugges- 


MOSCOW  81 

tion  that  Vera  was  too  surprised  to  laugh  as  she 
had  at  first  felt  inclined  to  do. 

"  My  cousin  ?  "  she  said  ;  "  Mon  Dieu,  no  ; 
the  Baron  is  not  of  the  kind  to  take  the  trouble 
to  be  fiance  for  considerations  of  convenience." 

"The  Baron  is  not  then  betrothed  to  Made- 
moiselle ?  "  murmured  Louise,  and  presently  she 
began  to  speak  of  the  fencing,  no  longer  in- 
terested— as  it  appeared  to  Vera — in  the  conun- 
drum with  regard  to  Mademoiselle's  betrothal. 

Which  very  naive  conversation  went  to  con- 
vince Vera  that  howsoever  gifted  the  fair  Louise 
might  be  in  the  manly  attribute  of  fencing, 
there  was  still  much  of  the  woman  remaining 
in  her  composition.  She  watched  Louise  some- 
what carefully  after  this,  anxious  to  learn  more 
as  to  her  interest  in  Henri's  affairs,  when  it  was 
easy  to  perceive  that  though  obviously  avoiding 
the  Baron,  doubtless  for  reasons  of  her  own,  the 
girl's  eyes  constantly  turned  in  the  direction  of 
her  cousin. 

"  Poor  little  Louise !  "  thought  Vera.  "  Henri 
of  all  people  !  " 

Afterwards  she  sought  an  opportunity  to 
add  a  word  of  warning. 

"  My  cousin  D'Estreville,  to  whom  you  sus- 
pected me  of  being  engaged,"  she  said,  laughing, 


82  MOSCOW 

"  is  not  one  I  would  trust  with  my  heart.  He 
is  the  same  to  all  women,  implying  much  but 
meaning  nothing.  He  is  par  excellence  a 
soldier.  Women  are — for  him — toys  to  be 
played  with  in  time  of  peace.  Henri  is  not  one 
to  bind  himself;  he  takes  his  amusement  where 
he  finds  it." 

"All  men  that  I  have  seen  are  like  that,"  said 
Louise  unexpectedly ;  "  yet  I  believe  that  it 
comes  to  each  man  once  in  his  life  to  take  a 
woman  seriously." 

"  Come,  Louise,"  old  Pierre  called  out  at  this 
point,  "  Monsieur  has  kindly  consented  to  ex- 
hibit to  us  a  second  time  his  wonderful  skill 
with  the  foils  ;  you  will  find  Louise  a  fair  ex- 
ponent, Monsieur,  though  she  has  never  yet 
measured  swords  with  one  of  your  exceptional 
gifts." 

"If  she  is  as  clever  as  her  sister,"  said  Paul 
gallantly,  "  she  must  be  skilful  indeed.  I  offer 
you  my  compliments  upon  your  daughters, 
Monsieur  Dupre,  they  are  indeed  a  credit  to 
their  teacher." 

"  Ah,  Monsieur,  if  they  were  but  of  the  sex !  " 
cried  old  Pierre  ;  "  but  there — it  is  not  their 
fault — I  have  bewailed  it  all  their  lives,  but  it  is 
not  their  fault." 


MOSCOW  83 

Paul,  in  his  bout  with  Louise,  was  at  first 
amused  to  find  that  he  was  getting  the  worst  of 
it.  Presently,  as  she  added  point  to  point,  his 
amusement  turned  to  disgust  and  presently  he 
grew  a  little  angry.  When  Paul  reached  this 
stage,  in  a  fencing  bout,  he  generally  became 
invincible ;  and  during  the  latter  portion  of  the 
set-to  his  score  rapidly  improved.  Nevertheless, 
when  time  was  called  it  was  found  that  Louise 
had  won  upon  a  point.  Old  Dupre  clapped  his 
hands  in  unfeigned  delight,  apologising  immedi- 
ately after  for  his  rudeness. 

"  I  also  crave  permission  to  applaud,"  said 
Paul ;  "  Mademoiselle  is  magnificent.  Several 
times  she  took  me  unawares  in  a  manner  that  I 
thought  impossible  of  any  swordsman  in  Paris. 
If  Mademoiselle  is  not  tired,  I  should  be  grate- 
ful to  try  conclusions  once  more  when  she  is 
rested ;  while  she  rests  there  are  one  or  two 
points  in  our  bout  which  I  should  like  to  think 
over." 

"  Oh — ah ! "  cried  old  Pierre  delighted. 
"  Monsieur  refers  I  think  to  the  feint  flancon- 
nade — the  feint  flanconnade  Dupre  we  call  it  ; 
it  is  a  trick  of  my  invention,  Monsieur ;  twice  I 
observed  she  scored  by  it!  yes,  it  is  subtle, 
Monsieur,  and  found  by  my  daughters  and  by 


84  MOSCOW 

our  pupils  to  be  most  exceptionally  successful. 
It  is  a  compliment  that  Monsieur  takes  notice 
of  these  little  things." 

"It  is  owing  to  these  '  little  things '  that  I 
find  myself  vanquished  by  Mademoiselle,"  Paul 
laughed  good-naturedly.  "  I  will  consider  these 
points  for  five  minutes  with  Mademoiselle's 
permission." 

During  the  interval  old  Dupre  conversed 
with  Vera  Demidof,  explaining  to  her  how 
hard  it  had  been  for  a  parent  longing  for  boys 
to  find  himself  saddled  with  girls ;  how  his 
daughters  had,  however,  done  their  very  best 
to  atone  for  the  "  mischance  "  by  growing  up — 
as  he  had  thought — superior  to  the  weaknesses 
of  their  sex ;  and  how  he  had  been  rudely 
brought  up  by  the  horrible  discovery  that  Marie 
had  fallen  in  love  with  his  assistant  and  desired 
to  marry  him  forthwith. 

"Imagine  my  grief,  Mademoiselle,"  old  Pierre 
mourned  ;  "  so  promising  a  swordswoman,  so 
great  a  help  and  comfort  to  me,  and  pouff!  she 
is  married  and  her  usefulness  is  gone!  All 
that  is  man  in  her  is  gone  also ! " 

Vera  could  not  help  laughing. 

"  You  still  have  Louise  !  "  she  said,  doing 
her  best  to  say  something  comforting. 


MOSCOW  85 

"  Bah !  she  has  seen  her  sister's  deterioration 
and  she  will  follow  her  example  ;  it  is  infectious, 
like  measles !  already  I  perceive " 

What  old  Pierre  was  about  to  say  remained 
uncertain,  for  at  this  moment  Henri  d'Estreville 
joined  the  group. 

"  There  is  war  in  the  air,  Dupre,  have  you 
heard?"  he  said.  "The  conscription  papers 
are  out.  Young  Havet  had  better  be  quick 
and  get  his  wedding  over  or  he  may  find  him- 
self in  Moscow  before  he  realises  that  he  is  a 
soldier." 

"  Ah — would  to  Heaven  they  had  taken  him 
before  this  foolery  began ! "  said  old  Pierre. 
"Now  I  know  not  what  is  best ;  the  evil  is 
done  ;  I  do  not  approve  of  Marie's  foolishness, 
yet  I  would  not  have  her  heart  broken- — for 
imagine,  Monsieur  le  Baron,  so  false  has  become 
her  estimate  of  the  proportions  that  she  would 
rather  marry  this  young  man  than  see  him  en- 
rolled among  the  heroes  of  his  country.  Surely 
the  object  of  love  is  the  happiness  and  the  well- 
being  of  the  beloved  ?  Compare  then  :  to  be  a 
soldier  of  the  Grande  Armee,  or  to  sit  at  home 
to  lose  manhood  in  the  endearments  of  a  foolish 
woman  !  Yet,  knowing  of  the  conscription,  she 
would  marry  him  to-morrow," 


86  MOSCOW 

Old  Pierre  was  almost  in  tears,  so  deeply  did 
he  feel  the  bitterness  of  the  blow.  That  his 
daughters  were  women,  was  bad  enough.  That 
they  should  at  length  show  a  desire  to  behave 
as  women  was  a  grievance  indeed ! 

"  Be  comforted,  Monsieur,"  said  Henri,  smil- 
ing, "  Havet  is  not  yet  chosen ;  if  he  should 
be  so  presently,  allow  me  to  suggest  the  very 
simplest  solution  of  the  difficulty.  Let  Made- 
moiselle Marie  enlist  also,  thus  no  hearts  shall 
be  broken,  and  the  Emperor  gains  a  soldier 
better,  I'll  be  bound,  worth  the  having  than 
half  the  six  hundred  thousand  he  intends  to 
raise,  if  report  speaks  truly." 

"Monsieur  le  Baron  is  pleased  to  jest,"  said 
Pierre ;  "  yet  it  is  true  that  Marie  would  make 
a  good  soldier  ;  it  is  but  three  years,  Monsieur, 
since  my  daughters  exchanged  the  convenient 
garb  of  our  sex  for  the  foolish  habiliments  of 
that  to  which  unfortunately  they  belong." 

"So  I  have  heard,"  said  the  Baron,  "other- 
wise I  should  not  have  presumed,  Monsieur,  to 
make  the  suggestion  which  was  not,  be  assured, 
altogether  a  jest." 

"  Was  it  not,  Monsieur  ? "  exclaimed  Pierre, 
looking  thoughtful.  "  Why  then  I  will  mention  it 
to  Marie  ;  there  is  no  knowing  how  the  sugges- 


MOSCOW  87 

tion  may  strike  her ;  assuredly  she  would  pass 
as  well  for  a  man  as  the  majority  of  the  silly, 
half-grown  youths  that  the  conscription  will 
catch.  Splendeur  des  Cieux,  Monsieur,  it  is  a 
good  idea.  The  glory  of  having,  after  all,  a 
child  of  my  own  to  serve  with  the  colours  !  It 
is  an  ambition  which  I  resigned  with  tears  at  the 
birth  of  my  little  Louise !  " 

"  See,  your  little  Louise,  who  is  quite  as  big 
as  our  friend  Paul,"  the  Baron  laughed,  "  is 
about  to  play  her  second  bout  with  my  redoubt- 
able De  Tourelle.  Try  again  your  feint  flan- 
connade  Dupre,  Mademoiselle  Louise ;  only  be 
prepared  this  time  for  a  subtle  riposte  !  When 
Monsieur  de  Tourelle  has  devoted  five  minutes 
to  the  consideration  of  his  play,  be  sure  the  time 
has  not  been  wasted !  " 

Louise  blushed  and  lowered  her  eyes  when 
spoken  to  by  the  Baron,  a  circumstance  which 
more  than  one  pair  of  eyes  observed. 

"  Louise  has  several  subtle  tricks  with  which 
Monsieur  may  not  yet  be  acquainted,"  said  old 
Pierre,  flushed  now  and  excited  with  the  pros- 
pect of  a  second  exhibition  of  his  daughter's 
splendid  skill.  "  Though  I  am  the  first  to  ad- 
mit that  she  has  found  more  than  her  match, 
for  once,  in  Monsieur  de  Tourelle." 


88  MOSCOW 

Paul's  five  minutes  had  not  been  wasted,  as 
he  quickly  showed.  For  though  Louise  made 
a  great  bid  for  victory  and  was,  indeed,  never 
more  than  a  point  or  two  behind,  De  Tourelle 
was  a  trifle  the  better,  and  ending  with  a  beauti- 
fully executed  "  time  in  octave "  finished  the 
leader  by  two  points. 

"  I  shall  consider  seriously  your  suggestion, 
Monsieur,"  said  old  Pierre  at  parting  with 
Henri  d'Estreville ;  "  the  more  I  think  of  it 
the  more  I  perceive  that  if  only  Marie  would 
think  well  of  the  matter  there  is  much  to  com- 
mend it." 

"But  you  would  lose  two  capable  assistants, 
Monsieur  le  Major,  as  well  as  the  comfort  of  a 
daughter's  presence,"  said  Henri,  somewhat 
ashamed  of  having  set  the  old  man  yelping  upon 
so  foolish  a  scent. 

"  Bah!  all  the  world  will  be  at  the  war,  there 
will  be  few  to  take  fencing  lessons  for  the  while. 
Louise  and  the  other  younker  will  suffice  for  all 
the  pupils  we  shall  get  in  war-time  !  Monsieur 
le  Baron  will  himself  be  absent  among  the  rest, 
I  doubt  not  ?  " 

"  Mon  Dieu,  let  us  hope  so !  "  Henri  laughed. 
"Where  else?  Eh  bien,  au  revoir,  Monsieur, 
and  au  revoir,  maybe,  to  Mademoiselle  Marie  in 


MOSCOW  89 

Moscow."  Henri  departed,  laughing  merrily. 
Louise  had  turned  away  with  her  flushed  face 
a  shade  or  two  the  paler  for  Henri's  last  speech, 
therefore  she  did  not  catch  the  amorous  look 
which  the  Baron  thought  fit  to  send  in  her 
direction  as  he  quitted  the  arena. 


CHAPTER  X. 

DURING  the  next  few  weeks  Paris  and  all 
France  pursued  but  one  topic  of  conversation. 
The  Emperor's  anger  with  Russia :  would  it 
end  in  war  ?  Napoleon's  threat — he  had  made 
it  several  times — that  he  would  march  into 
Moscow,  was  it  spoken  in  seriousness  or  in 
bombast  ?  For  this  was  an  undertaking  before 
which  even  the  heart  of  Napoleon  might  quail. 

Apparently  the  Emperor  Alexander  of  Russia 
felt  little  fear  that  the  menacing  attitude  of  his 
great  rival  must  be  regarded  seriously,  for  he 
budged  not  an  inch  from  the  position  he  had 
taken  up  in  the  several  matters  at  issue  between 
them. 

Alexander  had  several  legitimate  grievances 
against  the  French  Dictator.  In  the  matter  of 
his  sister,  the  Grand  Duchess  Anna  Pavlovna, 
he  considered  that  he  had  been  slighted ;  for 
Napoleon  had  displayed  too  obvious  a  readi- 
ness to  end  the  negotiations  for  his  marriage 
with  the  Russian  Princess,  and  this  savoured 


MOSCOW  91 

of  a  lack  of  respect  towards  her  Imperial 
brother's  Throne  and  person. 

In  the  matter  of  Oldenburg,  too,  Napoleon 
had  grievously  offended.  The  Grand  Duchy  of 
Oldenburg,  though  not  precisely  a  portion  of 
the  Russian  Empire,  dwelt  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  Tsar ;  his  own  sister  Catherine  was 
married  to  the  reigning  Duke,  yet  France  had 
lately  annexed  the  little  State,  whose  sovereign, 
with  his  Imperial  wife,  had  been  forced  to  take 
shelter  in  St.  Petersburg.  In  addition  to  these 
semi-personal  matters,  there  was  an  open  sore 
in  Poland  ;  and  again,  the  arbitrary  demands  of 
the  Dictator  that  trade  with  England  should  be 
boycotted  by  the  Continent  generally,  stuck 
obstinately  in  the  gullet  of  the  sturdy  Russian 
Tsar,  whose  merchants  knew  where  lay  the 
best  market  for  their  hemp,  their  hides,  their 
tallow  and  wheat. 

There  was  stir  and  excitement  at  the  Em- 
bassies. Kurakin,  the  Ambassador  in  Paris,  and 
Demidof,  Vera's  father,  his  principal  secretary, 
were  busy  from  morning  to  night,  interviewing, 
explaining,  bargaining,  smoothing  and  glossing 
the  sturdy  obstinacy  of  their  own  sovereign, 
which,  while  they  pretended  professionally  to 
deplore  it,  they  secretly  admired  and  applauded. 


92  MOSCOW 

Tchernishef,  the  Ambassador  Extraordinary 
of  the  Tsar,  arrived  and  was  received  in  private 
audience  by  Napoleon.  He  brought  with  him 
the  offer  of  certain  concessions  with  regard  to 
Oldenburg  in  exchange  for  counter-concessions 
in  Poland.  But  the  Dictator  was  obdurate  ;  he 
would  have  surrender,  not  traffic. 

"  Not  a  mill,  not  a  village  of  Poland  will  I 
give  your  master,"  said  he  ;  "  tell  him  so  ;  it  is 
my  last  word." 

It  was  Alexander's  last  word  also,  and  seeing 
that  his  great  opponent  intended  war,  the  Tsar 
began  to  make  his  preparations  for  defence. 

The  ambassadors  in  Paris  and  their  secre- 
taries and  attaches  packed  up  their  traps  and 
held  themselves  ready  for  departure. 

To  Vera  the  whole  matter  was  a  source  of 
unmitigated  grief.  In  common  with  every 
patriotic  Russian  of  the  day,  her  soul  revolted 
against  the  wanton  injustice  of  Napoleon,  and 
swelled  in  a  suddenly  awakened  passion  of  patri- 
otic love  and  enthusiasm  for  her  own  country. 
Napoleon  and  his  Grand  Army  were  of  course 
invincible  ;  Russia  must  suffer  defeat,  ruin  may- 
be ;  the  lives  of  her  sons  must  go  out  in  rivers 
of  innocent  blood. 

"  It    is    cruel    and    horrible,"    Vera    cried, 


MOSCOW  93 

speaking  of  all  this  with  her  cousins  the  D'Es- 
trevilles  ;  "horrible  because  utterly  useless  and 
unjust.  Does  your  Emperor  think  he  will  reach 
Moscow?  " 

"Our  Emperor  goes  just  as  far  as  his  word, 
Vera,"  said  Henri.  "  Do  not  deceive  yourself. 
If  Napoleon  has  said  that  he  will  march  to 
Moscow,  to  Moscow  he  will  march,  and  neither 
man  nor  devil  shall  prevent  him." 

"  You  leave  God  out  of  the  question,"  Vera 
raved;  "but  He,  too,  must  be  reckoned  with, 
even  by  a  Napoleon.  Be  sure,  Henri,  that 
this  wicked  campaign  will  not  be  permitted  to 
prosper.  You  shall  see." 

"  Au  revoir,  ma  belle"  laughed  Henri.  "  We 
shall  meet  in  Moscow." 

"  I  would  rather  never  see  you  again,  cousin, 
than  meet  you  there,"  cried  Vera;  "and  that 
is  truth ! " 

"  What,  and  the  same  of  Paul  de  Tourelle  ?  " 
said  Henri,  still  laughing  ;  "fie,  Vera,  you  show 
yourself  in  new  colours  to-day !  " 

Vera  flushed  crimson  and  turned  away. 
She  took  no  notice  of  the  allusion  to  Paul, 
but  a  moment  later  she  answered  the  latter 
part  of  Henri's  banter. 

"  If  I  show  myself  in  new  colours  it  is  the 


94  MOSCOW 

more  shame  for  me.  These  are  the  colours  I 
should  always  have  worn  ;  to-day,  at  least,  if 
never  before,  I  am  all  a  Russian  ;  I  am  none  the 
less  so  because  I  happen  to  have  French  cousins. 
Henceforth,  I  shall  be  ashamed  to  own  that 
there  are  folks  of  my  flesh  and  blood  who  are 
content  to  serve  this  tyrant." 

"  I  think  none  the  worse  of  you  for  your 
patriotism,"  said  Henri  good-naturedly,  seeing 
that  the  girl  was  much  distressed.  "  But  neither 
should  you  think  ill  of  us  who  are  also  patriots 
from  the  other  side  of  the  hedge.  Political 
aspects  depend  upon  the  point  of  view.  You 
are  excited.  You  will  see  all  this  differently 
when  you  think  matters  over  in  cold  blood." 

If  Vera  had  been  less  miserable  she  would 
scarcely  have  spoken  to  Henri  as  she  did,  but 
Henri  was  a  good-natured  person  and  made 
allowances.  He  guessed  the  mingled  emotions 
stirring  in  Vera's  heart  at  this  moment,  for 
Vera  had  always  been  a  good  Russian,  taking 
the  part  of  her  countrymen  in  the  many  banter- 
ing arguments  in  which  the  family  frequently 
indulged  at  the  expense  of  Russian  bears, 
autocrats,  barbarous  moujiks,  knouts,  serfs  and 
kindred  matters.  In  such  arguments  Vera  had 
often,  to  the  delight  of  Henri  and  her  other 


MOSCOW  95 

cousins,  almost  lost  herself  in  indignant  defence 
of  her  countrymen.  Now,  he  knew,  great  fires 
of  patriotic  fervour  must  be  ablaze  within  her, 
since  the  picture  before  her  mind's  eye  was  not 
that  of  an  equal  war  in  which  either  side  might 
gain  the  advantage,  but  of  a  helpless,  or  semi- 
helpless,  State,  over  which  stood  the  gigantic 
figure  of  conquering  Napoleon,  a  drawn  sword 
in  his  hand,  ready  to  shed  the  life-blood  of  her 
beloved  nation.  And  in  addition  to  this  trouble, 
and  aggravating  it  twofold,  Henri  fully  be- 
lieved, there  was  Paul. 

Henri  had  quite  made  up  his  mind,  much  to 
his  own  gratification,  for  he  was  fond  of  his 
cousin  and  Paul  was  his  chief  friend,  that  these 
two  were  in  love  with  one  another.  He  had 
endeavoured,  though  vainly,  to  assure  Paul  that 
this  was  so. 

"Any  fool  can  see  it,"  he  had  said  ;  "cheer 
up,  man ;  Vera  is  a  ripe  fruit,  ready  to  fall 
into  your  mouth  when  you  open  it  to  ask 
her." 

"  I  have  asked  her  several  times,"  said  Paul ; 
"you  know  that.  She  used  to  say  she  is 
engaged  to  some  Russian." 

"  Oh,  that  old  fable!"  Henri  laughed.  "  Well, 
has  she  dropped  it  lately  ?  " 


96  MOSCOW 

"  She  has  not  mentioned  it,  certainly,  of  late, 
but- 

"Very  well  then.  It  was  a  very  good  ex- 
cuse while  she  wanted  one.  My  argument  is 
that  she  requires  an  excuse  no  longer.  Ask 
her  again  before  the  Ambassadors  leave  Paris." 

Paul  accepted  this  advice.  He  generally  re- 
sented advice,  and  hated  to  be  preached  at  and 
interfered  with,  but  he  was  always  ready  to  take 
more  from  his  friend  than  from  any  one  else. 

"  I  have  come  to  say  farewell,  Mademoiselle," 
he  said,  calling  at  the  half-dismantled  embassy. 
"It  is  time  you  allowed  me  to  know  how  I 
stand  with  you.  That  I  love  you  with  all  my 
heart  you  are  well  aware." 

"Monsieur — alas!  It  is  not  the  moment  to 
discuss  such  things.  Let  us  try  to  part  in 
friendship.  If  matters  had  been  otherwise,  I 
know  not  but  that  in  time  I  might  possibly 

have  answered  differently  ;  as  it  is "  Vera 

paused. 

"You  are  referring,  doubtless,  to  your  con- 
tract of  affiance.  Mademoiselle  Vera,  let  me 
assure  you  that  such  a  contract " 

"  Bah  !  This  is  not  a  moment  for  deceptions, 
Monsieur ;  be  sure  that  contract  or  no  contract, 
I  shall  marry  no  one  against  my  will." 


MOSCOW  97 

"  So  far  good,  Mademoiselle  Vera.  To  what, 
then,  do  you  refer  ?  With  one  hand  you  seem 
to  give  me  hope ;  with  the  other  you  take  it 
away  again.  What  is  between  us,  Made- 
moiselle ?  I  am  rich,  I  love  you  as  I  have 
never  loved  woman.  Is  not  this  enough  for 
you  ?  What  stands  between  us  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  everything  and  perhaps  nothing," 
said  Vera  with  a  great  sigh.  "  You  say  you 
love  me ;  God  forgive  me,  for  I  know  well 
that  I  ought  to  reject  your  love,  yet  I  hesitate 
to  reject  it." 

"Why  then,"  exclaimed  Paul  joyously — he 
was  about  to  take  her  to  his  arms,  but  Vera 
waved  him  away.  "  Why,  what  do  you  mean, 
Vera  ?  "  he  continued  impatiently.  "  Why  must 
God  forgive  you  because  I  love  you  ?  I  am 
not  a  leper  ;  you  will  easily  be  forgiven !  Ex- 
plain— you  madden  me." 

"Can  you  not  understand,  Monsieur?  See, 
I  allow  you  to  say  '  I  love  you ' — yet  you  are  the 
enemy  of  my  country  ;  what  will  be  said  of  me  if 
it  is  known  that  I  have  done  this  shameful  thing  ? 
To  have  submitted  to  be  loved  by  one  who  is 
about  to  invade  the  land  of  my  fathers ' 

"Well — but — Mademoiselle,  for  God's  sake 
let  us  understand  one  another,"  cried  Paul, 

7 


98  MOSCOW 

"  Here  stand  I,  professing  to  love  you.  Am  I 
not  to  be  loved  again  because  I  am  a  soldier 
of  Napoleon  ?  As  soon  I  might  say  that  I  must 
not  love  a  subject  of  Alexander.  Your  patriot- 
ism is  delightful ;  I  love  you  the  better  for  it, 
but  your  conclusion  is  ridiculous." 

"  What  would  you  have,  Paul  ?  I  do  not 
know  my  own  mind.  I  like  you ;  it  is  possible 
that  one  day  I  may  be  able  to  say  that  I  love 
you.  I  am  young ;  I  am  not  yet  sure  what  is 
love  and  what  is  '  like '.  Is  it  not  enough  ?  " 

"  No,  a  thousand  times  no !  I  must  possess 
you — hold  you — caress  you — release  you  only 
when  the  last  moment  arrives,  under  promise 
that  when  we  meet  in  Moscow " 

This  was  an  unfortunate  remark  on  Paul's 
part.  Vera  fired  up  instantly,  receding  a  step 
or  two  from  him,  for  Paul  had  approached  and 
held  her  tenderly  by  the  elbows,  ready  to  take 
her  to  his  arms  if  permitted  to  do  so. 

"  When  we  meet  in  Moscow  ? "  she  cried. 
"  God  send  that  may  never  be,  never,  never ! 
Sooner  I  would  never  see  you  again  than 
meet  you,  as  you  suggest,  in  Moscow.  Do 
you  think  I  do  not  realise  what  you  mean  by 
meeting  in  Moscow?  I  tell  you,  Paul,  God 
forbid  that  I  meet  you  there ! " 


MOSCOW  99 

Paul  recoiled  a  little,  abashed.  "  I  apologise, 
Mademoiselle,"  he  said  ;  "of  course  I  should  not 
have  permitted  myself  to  use  so  foolish  an  ex- 
pression. When  the  war  is  over,  I  should 
have  said." 

"When  the  war  is  over,  love  may  begin  or 
may  not,"  Vera  replied.  "  This  is  not  the  time 
to  speak  of  love.  I  will  not  shame  myself  a 
second  time.  Go,  Paul — I  am  a  traitor  to 
have  said  what  I  said — forget  it — farewell ! " 

"  I  swear  I  will  never  forget  it,"  said  Paul. 
"You  are  cruel,  Vera;  I  do  not  understand 
your  attitude  ;  you  are  not  like  a  woman  !  " 

"  I  am  a  Russian ;  my  heart  bleeds  for  my 
country  which  lies  under  the  shadow  of  Napoleon 
and  his  Grand  Army,  of  which  you  are  a  member. 
It  is  hateful  of  me  to  have  spoken  of  love  with  a 
French  soldier.  Go,  Paul,  I  entreat  you."  She 
held  out  her  hand,  Paul  bent  over  and  kissed 
it.  Then  he  left  the  room  without  a  word. 


CHAPTER  XL 

AT  the  Palais  d'armes  of  old  Pierre  Dupre 
there  was  excitement.  Both  Karl  Havet, 
Marie's  fianc£,  and  young  Maux,  the  second 
assistant,  had  received  their  conscription  notices; 
both  had  been  drawn  ;  unless  physically  unfit  or 
unsound,  both  men  must  serve  in  Napoleon's 
new  and  greatest  army. 

Maux  was  in  excellent  spirits.  Being  a 
splendidly  built  young  fellow,  lithe  and  strong 
as  a  leopard,  there  was  no  doubt  whatever  as 
to  his  fitness. 

"  I  shall  come  back  a  sergeant,  Monsieur," 
he  said  ;  "  you  shall  see  ;  it  may  even  be  that  I 
shall  gain  a  commission  in  the  field — such  things 
have  happened  before  now ! " 

Old  Pierre  nodded  approvingly.  "You  are 
going  forth  in  the  proper  spirit,  my  son,"  he 
said ;  then  he  glanced  sadly  at  Karl  Havet, 
who  sat  with  Marie  conversing  dejectedly  over 
his  conscription  notice,  and  sighed.  "  Would 
it  were  the  same  there!"  he  added. 


MOSCOW  101 

Louise  fired  up  and  spoke. 

"  You  are  not  fair  to  them,  father,"  she  said. 
"  You  have  no  sympathy  for  the  natural  feel- 
ings. They  were  to  be  married  in  a  month  ; 
they  love  one  another ;  it  is  hard  for  them. 
If  you  were  generous  you  would  furnish  a 
substitute  for  Karl." 

"  Mon  Dieu,  Louise,  is  it  you  that  talk  thus, 
you?"  exclaimed  the  old  man;  "then  indeed  I 
do  not  recognise  my  own  child.  A  substitute, 
when  the  Emperor  has  called  him  to  arms? 
Shame ! " 

"It  will  break  Marie's  heart,  be  sure  of  that ; 
she  has  been  a  good  daughter  to  you,  father ; 
it  is  due  to  her  that  you  should  assist  her  in 
this  emergency.  Karl  has  no  money  to  pay 
for  a  substitute — you  have  plenty.  Let  him 
stay  a  while  at  least  with  his  wife.  Be  sure 
this  will  not  be  the  last  war ;  so  long  as  the 
Emperor  lives  and  Europe  is  not  yet  a  province 
of  France,  there  will  be  wars  and  wars.  It  is 
not  right  that  they  should  be  separated." 

"  Bah — you  speak  foolishly,  like  a  woman  ; 
you  disappoint  me,  Louise,  you  that  have  ever 
shown  a  spirit  above  that  of  a  woman.  As 
for  separation,  if  Marie  is  so  foolish  as  to  de- 
pend upon  the  presence  of  a  lover  for  her 


102  MOSCOW 

happiness,    why    should    they    be    separated? 
Let  her  go  also ! " 

"Father,  what  do  you  mean?"  said  Louise, 
gazing  blankly  at  the  old  man  ;  "do  you  rave ? " 

"  On  the  contrary,  never  was  I  more  serious. 
Marie  is  as  good  a  man  as  the  best ;  she  lacks 
but  the  pantaloons — eh  bien !  There  are  many 
fools  under  conscription  orders  who  will  be  glad 
of  a  substitute.  Let  her  go  to  the  war  with  her 
Karl,  since  they  dread  separation ;  she  will  be 
the  happier  and  the  richer  too,  for  she  will 
touch  the  money  of  some  coward  or  fool  who 
is  ready  to  pay  for  his  own  dishonour — voila 
tout!" 

"  And  you,  father,  could  your  mind  rest  in 
peace  if  your  child  were  exposed  thus  to  the 
risks  of  war  ?  " 

Old  Pierre  started  from  his  seat  with  an 
exclamation  of  impatience. 

"  Sapristi,  Louise  my  child,  you  grow  more 
foolish  each  minute !  Do  you  not  know  that 
it  is  the  one  grievance  of  my  life  that  I  have 
no  sons  to  fight  for  France?  If  I  had  a  son 
and  he  went  forth  to  battle,  think  you  I  should 
sit  at  home  to  weep  in  anguish  of  anxiety  until 
he  returned  safely  to  the  fireside  ?  God  forbid  ; 
I  should  thank  Him  daily,  each  minute,  that  I, 


MOSCOW  103 

too,  had  been  found  worthy  to  provide  one 
soldier  for  France.  Why  then  should  I  feel 
differently  if  I  possessed  a  daughter  who,  thanks 
to  her  own  fine  spirit  and  to  the  training  I  have 
given  her,  had  risen  superior  to  the  weakness 
of  her  sex  and  gone  forth  as  a  man  to  do  a 
man's  work  in  the  world  ?  I  should  thank  God 
all  the  more — yes,  and  I  should  love  my  child 
the  more,  more  by  a  hundred  times." 

Louise  was  silent.  Now  that  her  father  ex- 
plained his  view  of  the  matter  she  recognised 
that  it  was,  after  all,  perfectly  consistent  with 
his  character  that  he  should  think  thus.  That 
any  one  else  should  think  the  same  way,  how- 
ever, was  quite  a  different  matter.  Marie,  for 
instance,  would  probably  consider  the  idea  a 
ridiculous  one ;  her  fiance",  Karl,  was  certain  to 
laugh  the  suggestion  to  scorn,  and  yet  Louise, 
to  her  surprise,  found  that  she  herself  had 
listened  to  her  father's  words  without  the  im- 
patient amazement  which  so  wild  a  proposal 
might  have  aroused  in  her.  To  her  mind, 
trained  as  she  had  been,  the  idea  of  a  woman 
assuming  the  dress  of  a  man  and  enlisting  as  a 
man  in  the  army  of  her  country  was  neither  ab- 
solutely new  nor  absolutely  impossible.  Louise 
knew,  almost  by  heart,  the  story  of  Mademoiselle 


104  MOSCOW 

de  Maupin,  who  had  done  this  very  thing  a 
century  ago  ;  her  career  was  a  favourite  theme 
of  old  Pierre's,  who  had  drummed  it  into  the 
ears  of  his  daughters  since  they  were  children. 
Certainly  if  any  woman  could  imitate  Mademoi- 
selle de  Maupin  with  success,  it  was  Marie. 
But  Marie  was  in  love  and  about  to  be  married  ; 
she  possessed  no  longer  the  manly  spirit  which 
would  render  such  a  thing  possible,  and  Karl 
would  certainly  reject  the  idea. 

"  Suggest  to  them  your  scheme,  father,"  she 
said  ;  "  but  I  warn  you  that  they  will  not  receive 
it  seriously." 

Marie  flushed  a  little  when  the  strange  idea 
was  mentioned  to  her ;  then  she  laughed  and 
asked  Karl  what  he  thought  of  it. 

"It  is  madness,"  said  Karl,  glancing  indig- 
nantly at  old  Pierre.  "  That  a  man  who  loves 
a  woman,  whether  as  father  or  lover,  should  be 
willing  to  submit  her  to  the  shame  and  the 
thousand  risks  involved  in  such  a  scheme,  is  mad- 
ness and  worse.  Thank  God,  I  am  not  so  selfish, 
Marie.  Rather  a  million  times,  I  will  go  alone." 

Old  Pierre  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  As  you 
like,"  he  said.  "  It  is  my  misfortune.  What 
other  reply  should  I  expect  from  a  man  who  goes 
out  unwillingly  to  serve  his  country  ?  " 


MOSCOW  105 

"As  for  that,"  said  Karl  boldly,  "if  I  pos- 
sessed money  I  should  certainly  procure  a 
substitute ;  having  none,  I  must  go ;  it  is  hard, 
Marie,  but — quefaire  ?  it  is  necessity  that  drives 
us  apart." 

Marie  burst  into  tears  and  the  unfortunate 
lovers  left  the  room  together. 

"  Bah ! "  said  old  Pierre,  not  untouched  by 
his  daughter's  sorrow.  "It  is  a  misfortune — it 
is  a  disaster ;  see,  Louise,  how  this  foolish 
weakness  called  '  love '  spoils  not  only  a  splendid 
woman,  but  a  good  man  also.  Karl  is  not  a 
coward,  and  yet " 

"  No — -Karl  is  no  coward,  and  Marie  still 
less,"  said  Louise,  perfectly  miserable.  "  Father, 
let  a  substitute  be  found — it  is  hard  for  them  ! 
You  do  not  grudge  the  money,  that  I  know !  " 

"  My  daughter,  I  would  spend  the  money 
ten  times  to  have  Karl  go  willingly ;  to  keep 
him  at  home,  I  will  not  spend  it  once ;  what, 
pay  for  the  dishonour  of  one  who  would  marry 
my  child  ?  God  forbid  !  "  Old  Pierre  left  the 
room. 

"  It  is  an  impasse"  he  exclaimed  at  the  door. 
"  I  am  sorry  this  has  happened  ;  but  in  honour 
there  is  only  one  course." 

An  hour  later  Louise  still  sat  where  the  rest 


io6  MOSCOW 

had  left  her.  Soon  after  her  father's  departure 
an  idea  had  occurred  to  her — an  idea  which 
evidently  interested  and  absorbed  her  so  fully 
that  for  a  whole  hour  she  sat  motionless, 
thinking  deeply,  with  set  mouth  and  flushed 
face.  The  opening  of  the  door  startled  her, 
and  she  looked  up  to  see  Henri  d'Estreville 
entering  the  room,  a  sight  which  added  a 
still  deeper  wave  of  colour  to  the  flush  of  ex- 
citement which  already  darkened  her  cheek. 

"  Mademoiselle  Louise,"  said  Henri,  "  I  have 
come  to  bid  you  farewell." 

"Yes,  farewell,"  murmured  Louise,  "  I  knew 
you  would  be  going." 

"  I  am  happy  to  know  that  Mademoiselle  has 
devoted  a  thought  to  me  ;  it  is  right  that  it  should 
be  so,  for  indeed  I  have  many  for  you,  Mademoi- 
selle." 

"You  go  to  the  war,"  Louise  murmured, 
speaking  as  though  in  a  dream ;  <(  so  should 
all  brave  men  go ;  oh,  Monsieur,  it  is  grand  to 
be  a  man,  to  take  a  great  part  in  the  affairs 
of  life  ;  to  move  and  live  and  fight,  while  others 
remain  at  home  to  weep  and  think  with  folded 
hands.  To  which  army  corps  is  Monsieur 
attached  ? " 

"  To  that  of  Ney,"  said  Henri,  puzzled  by 


MOSCOW  107 

the  mood  of  Louise.  Evidently  he  had  sur- 
prised her  in  a  moment  of  unusual  softness. 
Henri  had  thought,  more  than  once,  that  the 
attitude  of  Louise  towards  himself  indicated  a 
certain  partiality.  To-day  he  was  almost  certain 
of  it. 

"  Ah,  Ney !  glorious,  splendid  Ney,  Bravest 
of  the  brave !  Then  I  may  picture  you,  Mon- 
sieur, as  for  ever  in  the  thick  of  the  fighting ; 
I  shall  think  of  you,  Monsieur,  be  sure ;  will 
you  also  think  of  me  ? " 

"Assuredly,  Louise." 

"And  how?" 

"  As  of  one  who,  perhaps,  sits  and  waits 
until  a— a  certain  young  soldier  returns  to  re- 
peat to  her,  as  now  from  his  very  heart  he  tells 
her,  that  in  absence  it  was  her  image " 

"  Oh,  Monsieur,"  Louise  laughed,  "  not  so ! 
sits  and  waits !  Yes,  perhaps ;  but  not  in 
spirit !  In  spirit,  Monsieur,  I,  too,  shall  be 
with  Ney,  fighting  with  him  and  with  you  the 
battles  of  my  country  ;  suffering  hardships, 
wounds,  death  maybe,  God  knows ;  think  of 
me  thus!" 

"Yes,  I  will  think  thus  of  you,  Mademoiselle  ; 
and  when  I  return 

"  Oh,  Monsieur,  '  sufficient  for  the  day  is  the 


io8  MOSCOW 

evil '.     How  know  you  that  you  will  return,  or 
if  you  return  that  you  will  find  me  ?  " 

"  I  shall  return,  Louise ;  I  have  no  presenti- 
ment that  evil  lies  before  me ;  certainly  I  shall 
return,  and  as  for  finding  you,  that  is  a  matter 
of  course." 

"What  if  you  do  not  seek  me,  Monsieur?  or 
if,  when  you  seek  me,  you  do  not  find  me  ?  " 

"  To  the  first  I  reply  that  I  shall  desire  you, 
Louise,  as  the  miner  longs  for  light  and  air  ; 
why  should  I  not  find  you  ?  I  will  ask  you  to 
wait  for  my  return,  Mademoiselle !  " 

"  Yes,  I  will  wait  for  you,  Monsieur,  if  I  am 
alive." 

"  Then  farewell,  Mademoiselle  ;  in  that  hope 
I  shall  live."  Henri  drew  her  to  him.  "  Upon 
your  lips,"  he  said,  "  I  seal  my  promise  to 
return."  Louise  did  not  resist. 

"  It  is  true  that  I  love  you,  Monsieur,"  she 
said  ;  "I  that  never  thought  to  love  a  man  !  " 

"  By  the  Saints,"  Henri  murmured,  as  he 
hastened  away,  "  that  is  an  easier  conquest 
than  I  expected.  Moreover,  she  is  splendid. 
It  is  certain,"  he  reflected  five  minutes  later, 
"  that  I  have  never  been  nearer  to  falling  in  love 
than  at  this  moment — be  careful,  Henri." 

"When  I  return,"  his  thoughts  ran  presently, 


MOSCOW  109 

"there  will  be  some  pleasant  hours  to  spend  in 
tilling  this  virgin  soil — tiens  !  I  wish  I  was  not 
going  so  soon !  " 

Then  Henri  d'Estreville  proceeded  with  his 
farewell  visits,  which  included  affecting  leave- 
takings  with  several  ladies  of  his  acquaintance. 

Louise  sat  dreaming  for  half  an  hour.  Then 
she  rose  with  flushed  face. 

"  Of  course,"  she  muttered,  "  it  is  the  only 
way,  and  what  better  could  there  be  ?  I  will  do 
it  at  once." 

When  the  household  of  Pierre  Dupre  sat 
down  to  dinner,  Louise  was  absent.  The  rest, 
with  the  exception  of  young  Maux,  were  silent 
and  depressed.  When  Louise  came  in  her  eyes 
shone  brightly,  her  cheeks  were  flushed,  and 
she  smiled  with  some  embarrassment  as  she  laid 
by  her  sister's  plate  a  folded  paper.  Marie  took 
it  up  and  glanced  at  it.  Suddenly  she  uttered 
an  exclamation. 

"  What  is  it — what  have  you  done,  Louise  ?  " 
she  cried.  "  It  is  a  demission,  Karl,  in  your 
name,  in  respect  of  a  substitute  '  Michel  Pre- 
vost'.  Louise,  did  my  father — oh,  where  did 
you  raise  the  money,  sister  ? — Oh,  Karl,  see,  she 
has  saved  us — she  has  saved  us !  " 

"  What  mean  you  ?  "    exclaimed  old  Pierre. 


i  io  MOSCOW 

"What  have  you  done,  Louise?  You  have 
paid  for  a  substitute  for  Karl  ?  By  all  the  gods, 
child,  I  will  not  have  it ;  it  is  an  outrage ;  I 
will " 

"Father,  let  me  speak,"  said  Louise;  "it  is 
very  simple.  I  have  no  money ;  I  have  paid 
no  one.  The  conscript  room  is  crowded  with 
busy  people — one  has  but  to  go  up  in  turn  to 
the  sergeant,  answer  a  question  or  two  and 
pass  on.  'Who  are  you?'  'Michel  Prevost.' 
'  Conscript  or  substitute  ? '  '  Substitute  for 
Karl  Havet.'  'Height?'  'Five  feet  seven.' 
'  Health  ?  '  '  Perfect ' — scribble,  scribble  ;  a 
paper  is  handed  you — '  Drill  yard  at  seven  to- 
morrow— pass  on ! '  and  it  is  done." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Louise?"  exclaimed 
Havet,  starting  from  his  seat.  "  You  have 
not " 

"  Do  you  not  understand,"  cried  Marie,  laugh- 
ing hysterically,  "it  is  Louise  herself  who 
has " 

"Yes,"  said  Louise,  "that  is  it,  Marie;  I  am 
Michel  Prevost." 

"  Mon  Dieu  I  "  exclaimed  old  Pierre  ;  "  is  it 
so  indeed,  Louise  ?  " 

"  It  is  so,  father ;  I  am  Private  Michel  Pre- 
vost ;  you  shall  have  your  desire  at  last ;  by  my 


MOSCOW  in 

own  will  I  am  going  forth.  I  shall  be  in  good 
company,  my  father,  for  my  regiment  is  attached 
to  the  corps  d'armde  of  Marshal  Ney  himself; 
hear  you  that  ?  I  shall  fight  under  his  colours, 
the  Bravest  of  the  brave.  Are  you  satisfied, 
father,  have  I  done  well  ?  And  you,  Marie,  are 
you  satisfied  ?  " 

"  Sister,  you  cannot,  you  shall  not ;  it  is  ridicu- 
lous— you  jest !  "  cried  Marie. 

"  God  forbid.  I  do  not  jest !  Let  no  one 
dare  thwart  me  by  revealing  my  secret " — Louise 
looked  round  with  smiling  face  but  blazing  eye 
— "  You,  Karl,  or  you,  Georges,  for  I  swear  I 
will  spit  with  my  rapier  him  who  so  does !  I 
am  a  soldier  of  Ney's  army,  remember  that,  mes 
amis  I "  Louise  ended  with  a  loud  laugh  ;  she 
saluted  the  company  military  fashion  and  left 
the  room. 

For  a  moment  a  silence  fell  upon  all  present, 
then  old  Pierre's  voice  was  heard  repeating  the 
"  Nunc  Dimittis  "  in  Latin. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

NEITHER  argument  nor  entreaty  availed  to 
shake  the  determination  of  Louise.  Her  father 
was  entirely  on  her  side,  enthusiastically  backing 
and  applauding  her  resolve.  Marie  and  her 
fiance,  though  at  first  shocked  that  Louise 
should  thus  sacrifice  herself  for  their  sake,  soon 
realised  that  the  sacrifice  only  played  a  part  in 
the  comedy. 

"  Do  you  not  see  a  second  reason  ? "  Marie 
asked  Karl  one  day.  "  It  has  occurred  to  me 
that  she  has  another  motive  besides  that  of  serv- 
ing us.  Louise,  too,  is  in  love.  I  suspected  it, 
now  I  know  it.  I  accidentally  saw  her  parting 
with  the  Baron  d'Estreville ;  they  kissed,  mon 
ami;  imagine  Louise  kissed  by  a  man ;  that 
reveals  an  extraordinary  state  of  affairs.  Well, 
the  Baron  has  already  gone  to  the  war.  Louise, 
poor  soul,  cannot  bear  to  be  parted ;  eh  bien ! 
she  will  go  also ;  perhaps,  she  tells  herself,  she 
will  see  him  from  time  to  time,  at  any  rate  she 
will  be  near  him." 


MOSCOW  113 

"  Sapristi,  it  may  be  as  you  say,"  said  Karl ; 
"  If  so  I  am  glad  of  it.  Then  we  can  allow  her 
to  go  with  minds  more  at  rest." 

However  this  may  have  been,  Louise  attended 
the  conscript  drill  for  a  month  with  the  rest,  and 
assuredly  Michel  Prevost  there  acquitted  him- 
self as  well  as  any  recruit  upon  the  ground. 
Accustomed  to  male  attire,  which  she  had  worn 
for  some  seventeen  out  of  the  full  tally  of  the 
years  of  her  life,  she  betrayed  no  awkwardness, 
whether  in  plain  clothes  or  in  uniform.  Ac- 
customed no  less  to  every  athletic  exercise 
which  went  towards  the  training  of  the  young 
men  of  her  day,  she  satisfied  the  drill  sergeant 
as  easily  as  the  most  active  of  her  companions, 
not  one  of  whom  ever  showed  the  slightest  sus- 
picion as  to  her  sex. 

At  the  end  of  the  month  the  somewhat  raw 
company  of  young  soldiers,  of  whom  Louise  was 
one,  marched  through  Paris  and  away  ;  a  month 
later  on  and  they  had  joined  the  ranks  of 
Napoleon's  ill-fated  army.  This  army  consisted 
of  356,000  Frenchmen,  and  a  heterogeneous 
collection  of  322,000  foreign  troops,  consisting 
of  Belgians,  Dutch,  Hanoverians,  Italians, 
Spaniards,  Austrians,  Prussians,  Bavarians, 
Hessians,  men  of  Frankfort,  of  Wurtemberg 


ii4  MOSCOW 

and  of  Mecklenburg,  Poles  and  others.  It  was 
called  by  the  Russians  "  The  Army  of  Twenty 
Nations  ". 

Napoleon  himself  was  at  Kovno,  with  about 
200,000  troops  commanded  by  Marshals  Da- 
voust,  Oudinot,  Ney,  Bessieres  and  Murat.  But 
the  detachment  of  which  the  conscript  Michel 
Prevost  was  a  member  did  not  join  the  mighty 
host  until  the  river  Niemen  had  been  crossed, 
and  the  dogs  of  war  set  at  the  heels  of  Alexander 
and  his  men. 

To  oppose  his  great  rival  the  Tsar  had,  at 
this  moment,  but  1 50,000  troops,  under  Generals 
Bagration  and  Barclay  de  Tolly,  though  200,000 
men  were  elsewhere  disposed,  to  be  called  up 
when  required.  Besides  these  troops,  the  Tsar 
could  count  upon  some  80,000  Cossacks  already 
enrolled  and  equipped.  Beyond  and  above  all 
these,  too,  he  could  rely  upon  the  nation  to 
provide,  in  the  moment  of  need,  an  almost  un- 
limited supply  of  raw  material,  ready  to  fight 
and  die  with  the  best  in  defence  of  their  be- 
loved country. 

Meanwhile  Vera  had  returned,  with  the  rest 
of  the  Embassy,  to  St.  Petersburg,  and  here, 
within  a  very  few  days,  she  received  a  visit  from 
Countess  Maximof,  Sasha's  mother,  a  middle- 


MOSCOW  115 

aged  dame  of  typical  Russian  appearance  and 
manners  :  kindly,  gushing,  voluble  in  a  mixture 
of  Russian  and  French,  used  indiscriminately  as 
the  words  happened  to  occur  to  her. 

"  But,  my  dear,  you  are  charming,  exquisite  !  " 
she  exclaimed,  standing  before  the  girl  in  an  atti- 
tude of  rapt  admiration.  "  We  had  heard  that 
you  had  grown  up  very  beautiful,  but  this  !  who 
would  have  believed  it  ?  And  my  Sasha  absent 
and  unable  to  see  you  !  " 

"Is  Alexander  Petrovitch  away  then  ?  "  asked 
Vera,  embarrassed  by  the  good  lady's  compli- 
ments and  wishing  the  visit  over  almost  before 
it  was  begun. 

"  Alas — he  is  gone  to  this  cruel  war,  chtrie, 
where  else  ?  All  that  is  best  and  most  precious 
of  our  manhood  has  gone,  and  Sasha  with  the 
rest.  Oh,  this  Napoleon  of  yours — though  in- 
deed he  is  no  more  yours  than  ours — there  is  no 
good  thing  to  be  said  of  him  ;  he  is  Beelzebub, 
the  prince  of  the  devils  !  " 

"  I  do  not  defend  him,"  said  Vera.  "  Why 
should  I  ?  I  am  as  good  a  Russian  as  the 
best." 

"  See  how  ill-natured  people  are  !  It  is  said 
that  you  so  love  the  French  people  that  you  no 

longer  have  a  thought  for  your  own  folks ;  some 

8* 


u6  MOSCOW 

even    said    that    you   would    remain   in    Paris 
throughout  the  war !  " 

"  It  is  false  and  very  stupid  also.  Of  course 
I  love  the  French  people.  We  have  no  quarrel 
with  them,  Madame,  but  with  one  man  only ; 
him  whom  we  must  all  hold  accursed  for  bring- 
ing this  wicked  war  upon  us !  " 

"  It  is  true,  it  is  true,  dooshd  moya !  It  is  the 
ogre  of  Europe  who  would  eat  up  our  children, 
not  the  people  of  France.  Kiss  me,  chdrie,  you 
are  beautiful  like  a  morning  in  summer !  Alas ! 
how  proud  Sasha  would  have  been  of  you,  of 
his  sweet  fiancee,  could  he  but  have  seen 
you ! " 

"Oh,  Madame,  Alexander  Petrovitch  is  better 
employed  !  "  said  Vera  weakly. 

"  You  will  scarcely  believe  how  he  looked 
forward  to  seeing  you,  chdrie ;  assuredly  he  has 
not  forgotten  his  precious  claims  to  your  heart's 
preference ! " 

Vera  laughed  quite  unaffectedly. 

"  Oh,  Madame,  be  sure  that,  no  more  than  I, 
would  he  desire  to  remember  those  claims,  if 
we  had  met !  You  speak  of  ancient  history 
which  is  recalled  only  with  a  smile  ! " 

"  DooshA  tui  moya"  exclaimed  the  Countess, 
throwing  up  her  hands,  "do  you  realise  what 


MOSCOW  117 

you  say?  The  dear  Tsar  himself  would  be 
disappointed  to  hear  your  words." 

Vera  laughed  outright. 

"  The  Tsar !  What  in  the  world  has  the 
Tsar  to  do  with  the  matter,  Madame?" 

"  Cherie,  you  do  not  understand.  I  am  a 
Dame  de  la  Cour;  I  am  privileged  to  enjoy 
many  opportunities  of  conversing  with  his 
Majesty.  His  Majesty  is  well  acquainted  with 
all  the  circumstances  of  this  romantic  betrothal 
of  Sasha  and  yourself.  My  dear  son  is  per- 
sonally known  to  the  Tsar,  who  has  deigned  to 
express  himself  as  much  interested  in  his  career. 
His  Majesty  was,  I  may  say,  charmed  to  hear 
of  the  betrothal ;  for  listen,  ma  mie ;  it  has 
reached  even  those  august  ears  that  Made- 
moiselle Vera  Demidof  is  well  known  to  be  one 
of  the  beauties  of  Paris.  Ah,  Mademoiselle, 
I  can  see  by  your  blushes  that  you  are  sur- 
prised and  charmed  by  this  news !  Shall  I 
tell  you  more  ?  The  dear  Tsar,  it  is  but  a 
month  ago,  was  pleased  to  pat  my  Sasha 
upon  the  shoulder — '  Hold  your  own,  good 
boy ! '  said  he,  and  the  Tsar  laughed  most 
graciously  ;  '  I  hear  we  have  a  Russian  outwork 
in  Paris ;  see  that  the  Frenchmen  are  kept  out 
of  it ! '  " 


ii8  MOSCOW 

"  Madame,  I  am  stupid  at  guessing  conun- 
drums," said  Vera,  blushing. 

"  Dooshd  moya,  the  riddle  is  a  very  easy  one. 
The  Tsar  is  well  pleased  that  so  sweet  a  flower 
as  our  Russian  Rose  of  Paris  should  be  plucked 
by  none  but  a  Russian.  '  Let  no  French  lover 
come  between  you ! '  said  his  Majesty,  in  effect. 
Truly,  as  I  have  said,  he  would  be  disappointed 
indeed  if  you  and  Sasha  should  not  come  to- 
gether as  Destiny  intended  that  you  should." 

"  Oh,  Madame,  who  can  tell  what  are  the 
intentions  of  Destiny?  If  the  Tsar  be  pleased 
to  jest  in  a  matter  which  does  not  concern  him, 
let  him  jest.  It  is  quite  likely  that  Alexander 
Petrovitch,  when  he  sees  me,  will  think  the 
Tsar's  jest  but  a  poor  one." 

"  A  thousand  times  no,  chdrie !  He  will  love 
you  at  sight.  Already  he  is  prepared  to  lose 
his  heart ;  it  is  a  heart  worth  winning !  There 
are  many  who  would  give  the  world  in  exchange 
for  it !  Yet  I  whisper  to  you,  dooshinka,  this 
secret — he  waits  but  to  learn  that  you  have 
escaped  scatheless  from  Paris!" 

"  Mon  Dieu  ! "  exclaimed  Vera,  laughing. 
"  Did  he  think  the  Frenchmen  would  begin  the 
war  by  murdering  poor  little  me  ?  " 

"  Fie,  fie,  little  hyprocite ! "  said  the  Countess, 


MOSCOW  119 

tapping  Vera  affectionately  with  her  fan.  "  Well, 
well,  Sasha  shall  tell  you  all  these  things  for 
himself!  I  am  only  a  poor  old  woman,  but 
Sasha  will  return  from  the  war,  one  day,  and 
such  matters  will  sound  differently  from  his  lips. 
We  shall  see  what  Destiny  has  to  say  then ! " 

"  Yes,  let  us  leave  it  so,  Madame, "  said 
Vera ;  "for  after  all,  we  have  not  yet  seen  one 
another !  " 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  beginning  of  the  war  dragged.  There 
was  little  fighting,  for  the  Russian  generals 
adopted  the  policy  of  retiring  constantly  before 
the  enemy's  advance,  apparently  afraid  to  stand 
their  ground,  but  actually  luring  him  intentionally 
onward,  deeper  and  deeper,  into  the  immense 
spaces  of  the  interior.  By  these  tactics  a 
constantly  diminishing  French  force  opposed  a 
Russian  army  whose  numbers  augmented  daily 
in  spite  of  the  leakage  resulting  from  illness  and 
small  engagements. 

In  one  of  the  earlier  battles  young  Sasha 
Maximof  received  a  bullet  in  the  left  arm,  and 
being  incapacitated  for  a  while  from  active  ser- 
vice was  employed  by  the  general  to  carry  to 
Moscow  the  latest  manifesto  of  the  Tsar,  and 
to  superintend  the  raising  of  reinforcements 
demanded  in  that  document  by  his  Majesty. 

The  manifesto  was  as  follows  ; — 


120 


MOSCOW  121 

"  TO  OUR  ANCIENT  ClTY  AND  METROPOLIS  OF  MOSCOW  : 

"  The  Enemy,  with  unparalleled  perfidy  and 
a  force  equal  to  his  boundless  ambition,  has  en- 
tered the  frontiers  of  Russia.  His  design  is  the 
ruin  of  our  country.  The  Russian  armies  burn 
to  throw  themselves  upon  his  battalions.  .  .  . 

"  Necessity  commands  that  we  should  as- 
semble a  new  force  in  the  interior  to  support  that 
which  is  now  face  to  face  with  the  enemy.  To 
collect  this  new  army  we  now  address  ourself  to 
the  Ancient  Capital  of  our  Ancestors:  to  Moscow, 
the  sovereign  city  of  all  the  Russians.  .  .  . 

"  The  security  of  our  Holy  Church,  the  safety 
of  the  Throne  of  the  Tsars,  the  independence 
of  the  Ancient  Muscovite  Empire  all  demand 
that  the  object  of  this  appeal  be  regarded  by 
our  subjects  as  a  Sacred  Decree.  .  .  . 

"  The  ills  which  this  treacherous  invader  has 
prepared  for  us  shall  fall  upon  his  own  head. 
Europe,  delivered  from  vassalage,  shall  cele- 
brate the  name  of  Russia! 

"  ALEXANDER. 

"  GIVEN  AT  OUR  CAMP  AT  POLOTSK, 
6,  7,  1812." 

The  Countess  Maximof  presently  received  a 
letter  from  a  relative  in  Moscow.  "Come 


122  MOSCOW 

quickly,"  her  cousin  wrote;  "you  are  the 
favoured  of  fortune  ;  Sasha  has  arrived,  slightly 
wounded — do  not  be  afraid,  it  is  a  mere  bagatelle, 
a  bullet  scratch  in  the  left  arm  ;  he  is  busy  re- 
cruiting— a  very  important  billet,  my  dear,  and 
the  appointment  is  the  highest  compliment  to 
so  young  a  man !  Sasha  is  too  busy  to  write, 
but  he  begs  me  to  say  that  he  hopes  to  see 
you  here,  and  also — if  she  is  with  you — Vera 
Demidof,  who  has  of  course  returned  from 
Paris."  The  Countess  went  straight  to  Vera 
with  her  letter. 

"  You  will  come,  cherie — do  not  refuse — give 
him'  this  pleasure ;  only  think,  he  is  wounded  ; 
one  of  the  first  to  bleed  for  our  dear  Russia  ;  he 
is  wounded  and  will  soon  go  back  to  the  front 
— you  will  not  refuse  his  request." 

"Oh,  I  will  come,"  Vera  laughed,  "if  only  to 
prove  to  you,  Madame,  that  Alexander  Petro- 
vitch  and  myself  shall  need  but  one  interview  to 
assure  ourselves  that  neither  is  anxious  to  be 
bound  by  the  foolish  betrothal  of  a  dozen  years 
ago!" 

"  Well,  we  shall  see,  we  shall  see  ;  meanwhile 
you  will  come,  and  that  is  good.  We  shall 
travel  in  my  own  Dormese ;  in  three  days  we 
shall  be  in  Moscow.  We  shall  not  journey  by 


MOSCOW  123 

night,  for  I  would  have  you  look  your  sweetest 
when  Sasha  sees  you ;  poor  lad,  he  will  not  be 
at  his  best — wounded  and  perhaps  ill  with  fever  ; 
you  will  remember  that  when  you  see  him ! " 

"  I  will  remember  that  he  has  already  bled 
for  Russia,  that  will  mean  more  for  me  than  the 
colour  of  his  cheeks,"  said  Vera. 

"That  is  a  wise  saying,  chdrie ;  good,  I  like 
it ;  yes,  remember  that  he  is  a  good  Russian." 

Vera  was  not  long  in  Moscow  before  Sasha 
Maximof  presented  himself.  He  came  with  his 
arm  in  a  sling,  pale  and  looking  many  years 
older  than  when  Vera  last  saw  him.  His  face 
was  certainly  a  handsome  one,  and  much  of  its 
present  pallor  was  lost  in  the  blush  which  spread 
over  his  features  as  he  took  Vera's  hand  and 
bent  over  it. 

"  My  mother  did  not  exaggerate,"  he  said, 
gazing  at  the  girl  with  undisguised  admiration. 
"I  thought — three  years  ago,  is  it? — that  you 
would  grow  into  a  handsome  girl,  but  by  the 
Saints,  Vera,  I  did  not  anticipate — this ! " 

"  So  you  have  '  eschewed  the  follies  of  cadet- 
dom,'  "  laughed  Vera,  quoting  Sasha's  late  letter 
to  her  in  Paris.  "  What  does  that  mean,  pray  ?  " 

"You  quote  imperfectly,"  Sasha  blushed 
again.  "  I  wrote,  '  my  heart  is  disengaged,  and 


124  MOSCOW 

I  have  eschewed  the  follies  of  cadetdom '.  You 
must  know  what  I  mean  by  the  follies  of  my 
cadet-period,  for  assuredly  there  could  scarcely 
have  existed  upon  this  earth  a  more  objection- 
able person  than  I  was  in  those  days." 

"You  had,  if  I  remember  rightly,"  said  Vera, 
"a  very  fair  opinion  of  yourself ;  you  refused  to 
know  me  because  I  was  too  young." 

"I  am  prepared  to  make  amends,"  Sasha 
laughed.  "  Please  do  all  your  fault-finding  at 
once,  in  order  that  my  repentance  may  be  com- 
plete. I  know  I  was  a  conceited  young  cub 
and  treated  you  abominably.  What  is  your 
next  grievance  ? " 

"  A  very  much  more  serious  one.  Your 
memory  is  so  good  that  you  will  not  have  for- 
gotten a  certain  conversation  when  we  parted 
three  years  ago." 

"  I  think  I  remember  every  word  of  it ;  I 
have  often  thought  of  it." 

"Is  that  so ? "  asked  Vera  in  surprise. 
"Why?" 

"  Honestly,  because  you  looked  so  pretty 
that  day  and  showed  so  much  spirit  that  I  was 
surprised  into  liking  you  better  than  I  thought. 
I  realised  this  afterwards.  I  suppose  I  am  a 
person  of  strong  imagination,  because  from  time 


MOSCOW  125 

to  time,  recalling  that  interview,  I  have  felt  that 
sense  of  Mike'  almost  deepen  into  '  love'." 

"  Oh  ! ''"  Vera  laughed  ;  "  but  that  could  only 
have  been  after  your  heart  became  disengaged  ; 
do  not  forget,  mon  ami,  that  when  we  parted 
your  heart  was  far  from  being  disengaged." 

"  I  thought  so  ;  but  one  makes  mistakes  about 
such  things.  At  any  rate  I  got  over  that — 
that  foolish  business.  Am  I  forgiven  all  these 
juvenile  sins  ?  " 

"  But  there  is  nothing  in  the  last  confession 
which  concerns  me.  What  have  I  to  forgive 
in  the  circumstance  that  you  were  once  in  love 
with  some  one  unknown,  and  '  got  over  it '  ? " 

Sasha  winced. 

"  Of  course  that  was  nothing  to  you,"  he  said. 

"Absolutely.  But  with  regard  to  that  same 
conversation,  I  have  a  grievance  and  a  serious 
one,  as  I  hinted  before.  We  came  to  an  agree- 
ment, I  remember,  with  regard  to  a  certain 
foolish  contract  entered  into  by  our  parents  on 
our  behalf.  You  were  to  destroy  it,  by  mutual 
consent.  You  did  not  do  so,  as  I  learned  for 
the  first  time  but  a  few  months  ago." 

"  Honestly,  Vera,  the  notary  said  it  could  not 
be  destroyed  but  in  the  presence  of,  and  by 
sworn  consent  of,  both.  The  priests,  too,  de- 


126  MOSCOW 

clare  that  the  sanction  of  the  metropolitan  is 
necessary." 

"You  should  not  have  asked  them.  You 
had  undertaken  to  tear  up  the  foolish  thing. 
That  would  have  sufficed  for  us.  Why  did 
you  ask  advice  ?  " 

"  I  see  that  you  will  have  the  whole  truth. 
I  stupidly  thought  that  by  retaining  the  con- 
tract I  retained  also  a  kind  of  hold  upon  you. 
Of  course,  on  reconsideration " 

"  Yes,  of  course  that  is  nonsense.  I  will  tell 
you,  my  friend,  that  contract  or  no  contract,  I 
should  never  dream  of  marrying  any  man 
against  my  own  will  and  desire.  Your  action 
makes  no  difference,  but  it  was  foolish  and  not 
quite  honest.  It  is  better  that  we  should  under- 
stand one  another  from  the  beginning." 

"  Yes,  that  is  true.  Will  you  do  me  a  kind- 
ness, Vera  ?  You  say  that  it  is  better  that  we 
should  understand  one  another.  It  might  save 
me  much  pain  if  you  were  to  tell  me  now,  before 
it  is  quite  too  late,  whether  you  have  left  Paris 
as  heart  free  as  you  entered  it  ?  " 

Vera  flushed  crimson. 

"By  what  right  am  I  thus  catechised?"  she 
asked  angrily.  "  Is  it  by  virtue  of  the  contract 
you  so  dishonestly  retained  ?  or  do  you  consider 


MOSCOW  127 

that  I  am  bound  to  give  you  my  confidence 
because  you  have  been  so  good  as  to  lay  bare 
your  heart  for  my  entertainment?  Neither  is  a 
sufficient  reason,  sir." 

"You  are  very  hard  on  me,  Vera,"  Maximof 
sighed.  "  What  you  have  implied  might  have 
been  conveyed  to  me  less  harshly.  Well,  thank 
you  for  letting  me  know  what  I  wished  to  know." 
He  paused.  "  With  regard  to  our  intercourse 
here  in  Moscow,  I  shall  be  very  busy  and — well, 
I  may  as  well  speak  to  you  frankly  while  I  am 
about  it,  I  fancy  it  would  be  too  dangerous  for 
me  to  see  much  of  you.  Good-bye — oh,  as  to 
this  thing " 

Sasha  produced  a  pocket-book  and  took  from 
it  an  oldish  paper.  "  At  any  rate  you  shall  be 
worried  no  longer  by  the  whim  of  our  parents !  " 
He  opened  the  door  of  the  stove  and  threw  the 
betrothal  contract  within  ;  then  he  lit  a  match 
and  applied  it  to  an  edge  of  the  document  which 
was  soon  in  flames. 

"  So  ends  a  foolish  comedy  that  might  have 
developed  into  a  pretty  romance!"  said  Maximof, 
laughing  bitterly.  "  Farewell,  Vera  Danilovna. 
I  wish  to  God  you  had  not  lived  these  three 
years  in  Paris ! "  At  the  door  he  turned  and 
spoke  again. 


128  MOSCOW 

"  Of  course  I  don't  blame  you,  but  it's  hard 
on  me  that  you  should  have  grown  so — so  mad- 
deningly pretty."  Maximof  repeated  his  loud 
laugh  and  departed. 

Vera  sighed.  "  I  ought  to  have  known  you 
before,  my  friend,"  she  thought ;  "  before — be- 
fore Paul !  But  after  all,  the  gulf  between  Paul 
and  me  is  wide  enough  !  " 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  war  was  in  full  swing,  victory  favouring  the 
French  troops,  for  the  most  part,  though  occa- 
sionally she  would  hearten  the  defending 
Russians  with  a  smile  or  two  of  encourage- 
ment. Louise,  with  her  fellow  recruits,  had 
joined  Ney's  army  corps.  Already  she  had 
been  present  in  several  minor  engagements  and 
had  even  received  a  slight  flesh  wound  in  the 
left  hand.  The  army  surgeon  attending  her 
had  remarked  upon  the  smallness  of  her  hand. 
"It  might  be  a  woman's ! "  he  said  with  a  laugh. 
"  There's  nothing  here  to  keep  you  out  of 
the  fun,"  he  added  ;  "get  back  to  the  colours  as 
soon  as  you  please." 

The  Russian  General,  Barclay  de  Tolly,  was 
throughout  unwilling  to  expose  his  troops  to 
the  risk  of  battle.  He  was  no  coward.  In 
the  face  of  much  patriotic  opposition  from  his 
fellow  generals  and  the  nation  at  large,  he 
adhered  to  his  own  tactics,  which  were  to  lure 
the  enemy  constantly  forward,  striking  only 

129  9 


130  MOSCOW 

when  a  blow  could  be  dealt  with  effect.  The 
peasantry,  patriots  to  a  man,  beseeched  their 
general  to  bid  them  set  fire  to  their  standing 
crops,  to  their  very  homes  and  granaries,  that 
the  enemy  might  find  but  a  desolate  waste  in 
his  advance.  Thousands  of  villages  were  so  de- 
stroyed, their  inhabitants  preferring  to  wander 
homeless  and  hungry  into  the  woods  rather 
than  allow  the  enemy  to  profit,  even  for  a 
night,  by  the  use  of  their  property. 

Michel  Prevost,  as  Louise  was  called  among 
her  fellows,  was  soon  a  favourite  in  her  regi- 
ment. No  one  had  the  slightest  suspicion  that 
she  was  anything  but  what  she  pretended  to  be, 
a  young  conscript  like  thousands  of  others  who 
went  to  swell  the  Grande  Armee.  Occasionally 
remarks  would  be  made — jokes  as  to  her  com- 
plexion, which  was  fair  for  a  man's ;  her  slight 
though  well-knit  figure,  her  modesty,  her  obvi- 
ous dislike  for  coarse  topics  of  conversation, 
but  though  occasionally  a  man  might  declare 
with  a  laugh  that  Michel  was  as  much  woman 
as  man,  barring  his  fencing,  which  was  second 
to  none,  no  one  dreamed  that  in  saying  such 
a  thing  he  was  nearer  the  truth  than  he  knew. 

Never  a  day  passed  but  Louise  looked 
anxiously  for  the  Baron  d'Estreville.  He  be- 


MOSCOW  131 

longed,  she  knew,  to  a  fashionable  light  cavalry 
regiment,  and  this  regiment  she  saw  more  than 
once,  in  the  distance  ;  but  during  the  first  month 
of  her  campaigning  she  never  succeeded  in 
catching  a  glimpse  of  her  friend,  an  unkind 
arrangement  of  destiny  which  caused  Louise  to 
sigh  daily. 

Then  came  a  day  of  stress  and  battle. 

Barclay  de  Tolly  had  decided  to  vary,  for 
once,  his  tactics  by  staying  for  a  day  his  retro- 
grade movement.  If  attacked  and  beaten,  he 
could  immediately  recommence  his  slow  retreat 
upon  Moscow.  Should  he  prove  victorious — 
which  he  scarcely  expected — it  might  be  pos- 
sible to  inflict  a  blow  upon  Napoleon  which,  at 
this  crisis,  would  be  fatal  to  his  further  advance. 
Barclay  decided  upon  this  stand  in  deference  to 
the  complaints  of  his  army.  The  result  was 
disastrous,  and  involved,  besides  the  loss  of 
thousands  of  men,  the  burning  and  destruction 
of  the  splendid  old  city  of  Smolensk,  on  the 
Dnieper,  into  which  stronghold  he  had  thrown 
himself  in  his  desperate  attempt  to  stay  the  ad- 
vance of  the  French. 

Napoleon  made  the  remark  that  the  blazing 
town  "  reminded  him  of  Naples  during  an  erup- 
tion of  Vesuvius  ". 

9* 


132  MOSCOW 

During  this  day  of  fighting  Louise  suffered 
a  shock,  for  she  not  only  saw  Henri  close  at 
hand  for  the  first  time  during  the  campaign, 
but  almost  at  the  moment  of  recognising  him, 
as  he  rode  by  at  the  head  of  his  troop  of 
Hussars,  saw  him  also  struck  by  a  shot  and 
knocked  senseless  from  his  saddle. 

Her  own  regiment  was  at  the  moment 
rushing  forward  with  cheers  to  assault  a  house 
held  by  marksmen  of  the  enemy,  whose  shots 
from  the  windows  had  been  a  serious  annoy- 
ance for  an  hour  or  more,  and  acting  upon  the 
inspiration  of  the  moment  Louise  fell  forward 
upon  her  face,  as  though  struck  by  a  bullet. 
She  saw  her  comrades  go  forward  shouting, 
laughing,  cursing,  leaving  a  man  here  and  half 
a  dozen  there ;  she  saw  Henri's  Hussars  ride 
on  also ;  then  she  rose  and  ran  to  the  spot 
where  she  had  seen  the  Baron  fall. 

Henri  was  unconscious  but  alive.  She  bathed 
his  temples  with  tepid  fluid  from  her  own  water- 
bottle.  A  bullet,  she  now  saw,  had  passed 
through  his  left  shoulder.  She  ripped  the  tunic 
and  tore  away  the  shirt  and  washed  the  wound. 
It  bled  fiercely,  but  she  was  able  to  stop  the 
bleeding  by  means  of  a  tight  bandage. 

Henri  opened  his  eyes  presently   and    half 


MOSCOW  133 

sat  up,  using  his  right  arm  and  hand  to  prop 
himself.  He  looked  around,  listened  to  the 
cannonading,  the  shouting  and  turmoil  a  mile 
away,  and  glanced,  eventually,  at  Louise,  who 
was  still  busy  over  her  bandage. 

Henri  stared  at  her  face,  saying  nothing ; 
Louise  employed  herself  busily,  collecting  com- 
posure for  the  trying  ordeal  through  which  she 
now  expected  to  have  to  pass. 

"  You  are  very  kind  to  attend  to  my  wound, 
mon  ami"  said  Henri,  at  last.  "  Who  are  you?" 

"  Michel  Prevost,  Monsieur  le  Capitaine," 
Louise  replied,  saluting ;  "I  saw  you  struck 
down,  and  fearing  that  you  might  bleed  to 
death  if  left  alone,  I  stopped  to  bind  your 
shoulder.  You  will  recover,  please  God ;  the 
bullet  has  missed  the  vital  parts." 

"  It  is  curious.  I  seem  to  know  your  face, 
yet  I  think  I  have  not  seen  you  before.  Are 
you  a  Parisian  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  Monsieur,  but  only  a  conscript ; 
it  is  not  likely  that  you  should  have  seen  me 
before." 

"  Perhaps  not — yet  your  face  seems  familiar. 
Are  you  wounded  ?  " 

"  No,  mon  Capitaine.  I  have  no  excuse  to 
stay,  now  that  your  wants  are  for  the  moment 


i34  MOSCOW 

attended  to.  With  your  permission,  I  will 
follow  my  companions,  or  I  shall  get  myself 
shot  for  a  skulker." 

"  I  will  speak  for  you.  Stay  a  while  here, 
my  friend ;  or,  still  better,  help  me,  if  you  will, 
to  the  small  house  yonder,  which  our  cannon- 
balls  have  half  demolished.  This  wound  of 
mine  may  be  more  serious  than  you  suppose 
— I  feel  very  faint.  It  is  cold  here  and  very 
damp.  Is  it  dark  or  do  my  eyes " 

The  Baron  suddenly  fainted,  falling  back  into 
his  companion's  arms  with  a  groan.  Within 
one  hundred  yards  stood  the  half-demolished 
house  to  which  Henri  had  made  reference. 
Louise  laid  the  wounded  man  carefully  upon 
the  grass  and  hastened  to  see  whether  any 
assistance  was  to  be  had.  The  house  was  of 
stone,  the  only  habitation  left  standing  within 
half  a  mile,  for  the  wooden  cottages  which  had 
surrounded  it  were  burned  to  the  ground,  every 
one.  This  had  been  a  village,  she  concluded, 
standing  a  mile  or  two  from  the  town  of  Smolensk, 
now  blazing  in  the  distance.  The  house  was 
empty.  It  had  been,  to  judge  from  its  appear- 
ance, the  village  shop  or  store.  The  upper 
portion  had  been  destroyed  by  a  cannon-ball, 
but  the  ground  floor  still  stood.  Searching 


MOSCOW  135 

hastily  among  the  debris  left  by  the  owners  on 
the  approach  of  the  French  troops,  Louise  found 
a  bottle  of  vodka,  three  parts  empty.  With 
this  treasure-trove  she  flew  back  to  her  patient. 

Henri  opened  his  eyes  when  she  had  poured 
a  quantity  of  the  stuff  down  his  throat. 

"You  again?"  he  said.  "What  is  it — did  I 
faint?" 

"  There  is  a  wheel-barrow  in  the  yard  of  the 
house  yonder,"  said  Louise ;  "  can  I  leave  you 
for  a  moment  while  I  fetch  it?  If  you  are 
strong  enough  to  bear  moving,  it  would  be 
better  to  take  you  under  shelter.  It  is  rain- 
ing and  miserable  here.  The  night  will  be 
wet  and  cold." 

"By  the  Saints,  you  are  a  good  soul — what 
did  you  say  your  name  was — Michel  ?  Yes, 
fetch  the  wheel-barrow,  my  friend.  Strong 
enough  or  not,  I  will  make  the  journey,  with 
your  assistance." 

Louise  fetched  the  wheel-barrow.  With 
many  groans  Henri  contrived  to  seat  himself 
in  the  conveyance,  and  Louise  wheeled  him 
very  carefully  into  port.  She  improvised  a 
bed  out  of  a  pile  of  hay  which  she  found  in 
the  stable  behind  and  soon  Henri  lay  in  com- 
parative comfort. 


136  MOSCOW 

His  wound  seemed  to  be  serious,  though  not 
dangerous,  unless  complications  should  set  in ; 
but  being  young  and  very  healthy  there  was 
little  danger  that  anything  in  the  nature  of 
mortification  would  supervene.  The  wounded 
man  and  his  companion  were  not  long  left  in 
undisturbed  possession  of  their  sanctuary,  how- 
ever, for  before  long  a  surgeon  and  his  as- 
sistants, following  in  the  steps  of  the  fighting 
contingent,  and  finding  a  score  of  wounded 
men  in  the  vicinity  of  Henri's  house,  brought 
in  as  many  as  could  be  accommodated  in  the 
place,  which  now  became  a  pandemonium  of 
groaning,  swearing,  raving  and  dying  men. 
Two  other  sufferers  were  brought  into  Henri's 
room,  a  circumstance  which  did  not  please  his 
nurse ;  but  there  was  no  help  for  it  and  the 
men  remained. 

Henri  d'Estreville  was  seen'  and  treated  by 
the  doctor. 

"  You'll  be  all  right,"  he  said  ;  "  though  you'd 
have  bled  to  death  but  for  this  young  fellow — 
your  servant,  doubtless.  I  shall  leave  an  as- 
sistant in  charge  of  the  household ;  I  must  be 
off;  by  the  Saints,  his  Majesty  gives  us  poor 
fellows  work  enough.  Up  at  Smolensk,  they 
say,  it  is  like  the  shambles." 


MOSCOW  137 

One  poor  fellow  died  during  the  night  and 
was  removed  by  Louise.  The  other  lay  groan- 
ing and  raving  in  delirium,  too  far  gone  to  take 
notice  of  any  one  or  anything. 

All  night  Henri,  too,  raved  in  delirium,  suffer- 
ing from  high  fever.  Louise  sat  on  the  ground 
beside  him,  her  back  to  the  wall,  weary  to 
death  but  sleeping  never  a  wink.  Towards 
morning  Henri  was  quieter,  but  could  not 
sleep.  He  was  inclined  to  talk,  and  treated 
Louise  to  a  long  account  of  his  adventures  in 
love,  some  of  which  caused  the  poor  girl — who 
knew  little  of  such  things — to  blush  from  neck 
to  temples,  though  Henri  was  unaware  of  the 
fact,  owing  to  the  darkness. 

"  Every  one  of  these  affairs,"  said  Henri,  "  has 
left  me  without  a  mark.  I  had  begun  to  think 
that  Nature,  in  her  wisdom,  had  omitted  to 
provide  me  with  a  heart,  well  knowing  that 
such  a  possession  is  as  much  a  trouble  as  a 
comfort  to  its  owner  ;  yet  now,  in  my  old  age — 
imagine,  Michel,  I  am  twenty-five,  no  less ! — I 
have  begun  to  fear  that  after  all  she  has  treated 
me  no  better  than  my  fellows.  Not  only  have 
I  found,  of  late,  that  I  possess  a  heart,  but  no 
sooner  was  it  found  than  I  have  lost  it — so,  at 
least,  I  fear  !" 


138  MOSCOW 

"  It  is  possible,  I  suppose,  that  I  shall  die  of 
this  wound,"  Henri  continued  presently. 

"  God  forbid ! "  muttered  his  companion. 

"  Oh,  agreed !  I  am  not  anxious  to  die," 
Henri  laughed ;  "  still,  it  is  possible,  for,  be 
assured,  Michel,  I  have  felt  very  ill  this  night ; 
certainly  I  have  been  nearer  death  than  has 
been  my  lot  before  to-day.  Who  can  tell  how 
the  malady  will  go — which  turn  it  will  take. 
This  girl,  I  spoke  of;  if  I  should  die,  Michel, 
you  shall  take  a  message  to  her.  Sapristi — it 
is  an  odd  thing,  that  I  who  have  exchanged 
vows  with  a  hundred  women  should  now  re- 
member with  affection  but  one,  and  she  the 
most  artless  of  them  all  and  doubtless  the  most 
virtuous.  You  will  carry  a  message  for  this 
one,  Michel,  promise  me — it  is  only  in  case  of 
my  death — come ! " 

"  I  promise,"  murmured  Louise. 

"  Good — perhaps  I  shall  live,  in  which  case 
keep  my  secret,  lest  by  that  time  I  should 
think  differently.  But  supposing  that  I  should 
die,  go  to  the  Palais  d'armes  of  old  Pierre 
Dupre,  there  ask  for  his  daughter  Louise — 
remember  their  names — you  shall  take  a  note 
of  them  presently,  and  tell  her  that  in  dying 
Baron  Henri  d'Estreville  remembered  her  with 


MOSCOW  139 

tenderness ;  of  all  his  vows  of  love  he  remem- 
bered those  only  that  he  made  to  her,  which 
vows,  say,  he  would  certainly  have  kept  if  he 
should  have  remained  in  the  same  mind  when 
he  returned." 

Louise  suddenly  broke  in  upon  Henri's 
message  with  a  merry  laugh. 

"  I  will  leave  out  the  last  sentence,  it  will  not 
sound  so  well  as  the  rest,"  she  said.  "If  you  had 
lived,  I  will  say,  you  might  have  been  faithful 
to  her.  That  you  died  loving  her  fairly  well." 

"Ah,  you  mock  me!"  said  Henri.  "No,  I 
am  serious.  It  is  wonderful,  but  I  remember 
that  little  simple  one  with  true  affection.  To  her 
lips  I  send  a  loving  kiss,  the  pledge  of  my  love." 

"Shall  I  carry  your  very  kiss  to  her?"  said 
Louise  ;  "  if — if  it  would  be  a  comfort  to  you, 
I  will  do  so." 

"Ah,  rascal!  I  think  I  have  roused  your 
interest  in  my  pretty  one — well,  if  I  die  I  care 
very  little  what  happens  ;  yes,  take  her  my  very 
kiss — bend  over  and  receive  it  from  me.  It  is 
a  strange  thing,  Michel,  but  there  is  something 
in  your  face  which  reminds  me  of  my  Louise ; 
in  kissing  you  thus  I  can  almost  fancy  it  is  she 
—I  would  to  God  it  were !  " 

"  Ah,  you  rave  again!"  murmured  Louise. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

ON  the  following  morning  Louise,  busy  over 
some  service  on  Henri's  behalf,  heard  herself 
hailed  by  a  wounded  man,  lying  in  the  larger 
room  of  the  house  now  in  use  as  a  temporary 
hospital.  This  was  a  sergeant  in  her  own  regi- 
ment, a  rough-tongued  veteran,  keen  in  war, 
strict  for  discipline,  a  terror  to  the  young  con- 
scripts of  the  regiment. 

"Hi,  you,  Prevost,  what  the  devil  do  you 
here?"  he  cried.  "You  don't  seem  to  be 
wounded  ?  May  the  devil  claim  all  shirkers  ; 
why  are  you  not  with  the  colours  ? " 

"  I  was  engaged  last  night  in  tending  an 
officer  who  was  sorely  wounded,"  said  Louise ; 
"  I  am  no  shirker." 

"To  Hell  with  your  tending;  I  know  what 
that  means :  the  desire  to  be  out  of  the  line  of 
fire  combined  with  the  hope  of  a  pourboire; 
away  with  you  and  report  yourself  to  Sergeant 
Villeboeuf  by  midday." 

"  But  the  officer "  Louise  hesitated. 

140 


MOSCOW  141 

"  Bah — he  is  no  excuse  ;  Monsieur  the  under 
bone-sawer,"  continued  the  fellow,  addressing 
the  doctor's  assistant  busy  operating  at  his 
elbow  '"see  to  this  officer  this  shirker  speaks 
of." 

"  I  have  seen  him,"  said  the  man;  "he  may 
come  through  or  he  may  not,  but  in  any  case 
we  desire  no  loafers  in  hospital,  the  space  is  too 
confined  already." 

"  I  am  ordered  to  leave  you,  mon  Capitaine," 
said  Louise,  entering  Henri's  room ;  "  I  pray  God 
you  may  recover  ;  farewell,  Monsieur  ;  I  will  re- 
member your  message." 

"  Yes — if  I  die,  only !  "  said  Henri ;  "  not  if  I 
come  through  this  and  the  rest  of  the  war. 
I  feel  sick  enough  to-day — I  wish  they  would 
leave  you,  mon  ami,  to  look  after  me." 

"They  will  not,  they  call  me  shirker  for  re- 
maining only  one  night !  Do  not "  Louise 

was  about  to  say  "do  not  forget  me,"  but  she 
thought  better  of  it  and  altered  the  sentence  to 
"  do  not  fail  to  get  well ". 

"  Not  I — if  it  depends  upon  me — au  revoir, 
mon  ami,  let  us  say,  at  Moscow ! " 

Louise   left    the    little   house  with    a  heavy" 
heart.      "  For   God's  sake   keep  an  eye  upon 
Monsieur  le  Capitaine,"  she  said  at  parting  to 


142  MOSCOW 

the  little  feldscher,  or  under-surgeon,  who  re- 
plied with  a  laugh  : — 

"  Tiens,  my  friend,  you  are  wonderfully 
anxious  about  the  young  man  ;  one  would  think 
you  were  a  woman !  " 

There  was  no  arriere  pensee  about  the 
remark,  but  poor  Louise  went  away  blushing 
terribly  and  very  angry  with  herself  for  allow- 
ing herself  to  yield  to  so  feminine  a  weak- 
ness. 

Would  the  Baron  survive  ?  That  was  the 
question  which  throbbed  for  an  answer  with 
every  beat  of  her  heart.  If  he  survived  and 
remembered  the  love  which  he  professed  to 
have  felt  for  the  daughter  of  the  old  maitre 
cfarmes,  oh !  thought  Louise,  how  heavenly  a 
place  the  dull  earth  would  become. 

If  he  should  not  survive — well,  let  the  first 
Russian  bullet  find  its  home  in  her  heart,  for  all 
she  would  care  to  live  on !  And  yet,  Louise 
felt,  even  without  Henri  life  was  a  thousand 
times  more  beautiful  now  that  she  had  certain 
sweet  memories  to  draw  upon.  "The  most 
Holy  Spirit,"  she  reflected,  "must  have  inspired 
him  with  that  message — oh!  to  think  that  I,  of 
all  others,  should  have  been  chosen  for  its  re- 
cipient :  a  message  to  myself,  delivered  into  my 


MOSCOW  143 

keeping  for  my  comfort — an  inspiration  in  truth 
and  indeed !" 

Meanwhile  the  army  of  Napoleon,  constantly 
dwindling,  advanced  daily  farther  and  farther 
into  the  interior  of  Russia.  Napoleon  felt  that 
he  was  being  enticed  forward,  but  there  was  no 
thought  of  retreating.  On  the  contrary,  suc- 
cesses were  achieved  daily,  though  great  events 
were  rare.  The  policy  of  the  Russian  com- 
manders was  still  that  of  retreat,  laying  waste 
the  country  as  they  went.  The  faithful  peasants 
aided  and  abetted  them.  Every  man  proved 
himself  a  patriot.  "  Only  let  us  know  the  right 
moment,"  they  declared,  "  and  every  hut  in  the 
village  shall  burn  to  the  ground,  every  acre  of 
corn  shall  be  destroyed  before  the  detested 
foreigner  arrives  to  eat  the  fruit  of  our  labours." 

From  the  beginning  of  the  campaign  to  the 
present  time — two  months  and  a  half — Napoleon 
had  lost  by  illness  and  battle  1 50,000  men  ;  the 
Grand  Army  was  melting  away  before  his  eyes. 
He  now  did  all  that  was  possible,  by  ordering 
up  large  reinforcements,  to  fill  the  voids. 

But  meanwhile  the  Russian  troops,  unaware 
that  the  continuous  retreating  movement  was  a 
part  of  the  deliberate  policy  of  their  leaders, 
grew  more  and  more  discontented  both  with 


144  MOSCOW 

Bagration  and  Barclay  de  Tolly,  generals  who 
had,  nevertheless,  done  passing  well  with  the 
troops  entrusted  to  them. 

And  seeing  that  the  feeling  of  discontent  was 
daily  spreading,  and  the  more  quickly  since  the 
fall  and  destruction  of  Smolensk,  the  Tsar  Alex- 
ander now  united  both  his  armies  under  the  su- 
preme command  of  Kootoozof. 

This  new  appointment  aroused  enthusiasm. 
Kootoozof  had  no  intention  of  altering  the 
policy  of  his  lieutenants.  He  knew,  none  better, 
that  every  step  gained  with  much  pain  and 
difficulty,  by  the  French  armies,  must  presently 
be  retraced  with  tenfold  and  hundredfold  more 
difficulty,  and  pains  unimaginable.  The  Don 
Cossacks  were  already  being  recruited  in  pre- 
paration for  the  French  retreat ;  the  militia, 
raised  in  response  to  the  manifesto  of  the  Tsar, 
would  be  ready  for  work  in  a  month  or  two  ; 
great  things  were  preparing  for  the  discomfiture 
of  the  little  Corporal  and  his  men — the  rod  was 
in  pickle — let  them  advance  by  all  means  to- 
ward Moscow  ! 

But  when  old  Kootoozof  passed  his  troops 
in  review,  he  repeated  a  hundred  times  for 
their  edification  words  of  encouragement  and 
patriotic  appreciation. 


MOSCOW  145 

"  Holy  Mother ! "  he  would  ejaculate  ;  "  what 
soldiers !  With  troops  such  as  these  success 
is  sure  !  We  shall  beat  the  French,  my  children 
— only  wait  and  see  ! "  And  again,  "  With  such 
soldiers  we  shall  not  retreat  for  long ! " 

Kootoozof  halted  his  army  at  Borodino : 
1 20,000  men,  all  told ;  and  here,  early  in  the 
morning  of  the  7th  of  September,  the  great 
Russian  army  confessed  and  communicated  and 
were  blessed  by  the  priests  with  Holy  Water. 
During  the  morning  an  eagle  hovered  for  a  few 
moments  over  the  head  of  old  Kootoozof,  until 
frightened  away  by  the  shouts  of  enthusiasm  by 
which  the  soldiers  saluted  the  happy  omen. 
The  battle  raged  all  day  with  varying  success, 
the  French  capturing  the  redoubts,  losing  them 
again,  and  again  recapturing  these  and  other 
outworks.  The  Russians  slowly  retreated  and 
were  not  pursued.  Both  sides  claimed  the  vic- 
tory, and  both  lost  enormously ;  but  whereas 
the  losses  of  the  French  were  at  this  stage  irre- 
parable, those  of  the  Russian  army  were  com- 
paratively of  small  consequence. 

Then  Kootoozof  held  a  great  council  of  his 
generals,  whereat  some  voted  for  a  final  battle 
in  defence  of  Moscow,  some  argued  that  there 

were  greater  issues  at  stake  than  the  safety  of 

10 


146  MOSCOW 

the  ancient  capital  which,  after  all,  was  "  only  a 
city  like  another ".  Kootoozof,  however,  re- 
served the  final  decision  for  himself,  having,  prob- 
ably, long  since  made  up  his  mind  as  to  what 
should  be  done.  He  marched  his  army  through 
the  suburbs  of  Moscow,  and  presently  spent  the 
month  during  which  Napoleon's  soldiers  occu- 
pied the  Holy  City  in  so  disposing  his  forces  that 
not  only  was  the  road  to  St.  Petersburg  blocked 
by  a  constantly  growing  army,  but  access  to  the 
richer  provinces  of  the  Empire  was  also  barred  ; 
while  hordes  of  Cossacks  lay  in  wait  along  the 
line  of  retreat  which,  so  soon  as  Moscow  should 
be  found  no  longer  tenable,  would,  Kootoozof 
calculated,  inevitably  present  itself  as  the  last 
resource  for  the  invading  forces.  In  a  word, 
Napoleon  should  be  practically  blockaded  in 
Moscow. 

But  meanwhile,  on  the  i4th  September,  the 
advance  guard  of  the  French  army  entered  the 
city.  Through  the  streets  of  the  White  Town 
and  of  China  Town  (known,  respectively,  as 
Bielui  Gorod  and  Kitai  Gorod)  they  marched, 
singing  joyful  songs.  Then  pillage  began  and 
continued  until  Napoleon  himself  arrived  within 
the  city  walls. 

But   the   personal    entry   of   Napoleon    into 


MOSCOW  147 

Moscow  had  been  delayed.  The  Emperor  had 
remained  at  the  barrier  leading  to  the  Smolen- 
sky  Road,  awaiting  the  usual  ceremonies  which, 
he  was  determined,  should  precede  his  triumphal 
entry  into  the  city.  His  Majesty  expected 
humble  deputations,  servile  invitations,  sham 
rejoicings.  He  was  accustomed  to  see  the 
authorities  of  the  place  arrive  to  lay  at  his  feet 
the  keys  of  the  conquered  city,  but  here  no 
one  came,  nothing  of  the  sort  happened.  All 
seemed  commotion  in  Moscow,  but  the  after- 
noon arrived  and  still  no  deputation  was  to  be 
seen  leaving  the  city.  Napoleon  grew  angry 
and  sent  a  Polish  General  of  his  staff  to  hurry 
the  movements  of  the  authorities.  This  gentle- 
man returned  at  night  with  the  astonishing  in- 
formation that  no  authorities  were  to  be  found. 
Moscow  was  practically  deserted ;  there  were 
a  few  private  residents  scattered  here  and 
there,  but  palaces,  public  offices,  the  house  of 
the  Governor-General  were  all  empty  ;  not  a 
functionary  remained  in  Moscow. 

The  Emperor  was  furious  and  perhaps  a  little 
dismayed.  He  slept  that  night  without  the 
walls,  and  on  the  following  day  entered  the  city 
in  sullen  silence — no  beating  of  drums,  no  music, 

no    church    bells    greeted    his    arrival.     As   a 

10* 


148  MOSCOW 

writer  of  the  times  expresses  it :  "His  feelings 
when  viewing  the  accomplishment  of  this  long 
anticipated  enterprise  must  have  resembled 
those  of  Satan  at  the  destruction  of  Paradise. 
The  fiend  was  received  with  hisses  by  his 
damned  crew." 

It  is  said  that  as  he  rode  up  to  the  Borovitsky 
Gate  one  Russian,  an  old  soldier,  decrepit  and 
tottering,  barred  the  Emperor's  passage,  and 
was  struck  down  by  the  Guards  surrounding  his 
Majesty.  Then  Napoleon  proceeded  to  the 
Kremlin  and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  ancient 
habitation  of  the  Tsars,  a  home  which  he  was 
not  destined  to  occupy  for  many  days. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

MEANWHILE  Count  Rostopchin,  ex-Governor  of 
Moscow,  had  had  a  difficult  task  to  perform. 
General  Kootoozof,  making  no  secret  of  his 
intention  of  abandoning  Moscow,  unless  the 
stand  at  Borodino  should  meet  with  unexpected 
success,  had  promised  the  Count  three  days' 
notice  before  the  French  should  be  free  to  enter 
the  city  ;  but  Rostopchin  received  warning  only 
twenty-four  hours  before  the  arrival  of  the  first 
batch  of  foreign  soldiers.  During  those  four  and 
twenty  hours  much  was  done.  The  archives, 
with  many  treasures  from  churches  and  palaces 
were  removed  to  a  neighbouring  city.  The 
arsenals  were  thrown  open  in  order  that  who- 
soever desired  might  arm  himself.  The  prisons 
were  also  opened,  the  fire-engines  were  removed 
or  destroyed  ;  the  greater  part  of  the  population 
crowded  out  of  the  city,  taking  with  them — as 
far  as  possible — their  possessions.  Only  a  few 

enthusiasts  remained,  patriotic  souls  or  religious 

149 


150  MOSCOW 

fanatics  who  would  not  leave  the  Holy  City  of 
Russia  to  the  licence  of  the  invaders. 

Thus  Napoleon  found  a  deserted  Moscow, 
deserted  by  all  but  a  grim  remnant  of  reso- 
lute, desperate,  Russia-loving,  foreigner-hating 
patriots. 

Among  them  was  Vera  Demidof,  whose 
motives  for  remaining  were,  however,  decidedly 
mixed. 

During  the  months  of  anxiety  preceding  the 
arrival,  first  of  the  Russian  army  and  afterwards 
of  the  French,  Vera  had  shown  herself  one  of 
the  most  patriotic  of  Russian  women.  She  had 
been  surprised  by  her  own  fierce  patriotic 
passion.  She  had  gone  daily  among  the  people, 
inflaming  their  minds  against  the  foreigners, 
helping — like  many  of  the  ladies  in  Moscow — to 
enrol  every  man  of  fighting  age  and  capacity 
among  the  drujina  or  militia,  which  had  started 
into  being  in  response  to  the  manifesto  of  the 
Tsar.  She  remained  behind  when  the  great 
majority  of  the  population  left  in  the  hope  that 
she  might  even  yet  find  work  to  do  for  Russia's 
sake.  She  was  a  member  of  a  patriotic  guild, 
formed  at  this  time  to  watch  and  to  protect 
the  beloved  city,  given  over  into  the  hands  of 
her  enemies. 


MOSCOW  151 

If  any  one  had  told  Vera  that  she  had  remained 
in  Moscow  partly  at  least  in  the  hope  of  seeing  a 
Frenchman,  one  Paul  de  Tourelle ;  of  assuring 
herself  that  he  was  alive  and  well  and  that  he  still 
loved  her,  perhaps  she  would  have  admitted  the 
first  portion  of  the  indictment,  but  certainly  not 
the  last.  Vera  was,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  anxious 
to  see  Paul,  if  possible,  but  for  a  different  reason. 
Whether  he  loved  her  or  not  was,  at  this  moment 
of  patriotic  fervour,  a  matter  of  supreme  indiffer- 
ence to  her,  for,  indeed,  she  more  than  suspected 
that  she  had  altogether  lost  that  partiality  for 
the  young  Frenchman  which  she  had  believed 
to  be  a  preliminary  to  love ;  perhaps  her 
patriotic  hatred  of  the  invaders  of  her  country 
had  scotched  all  private  feelings  for  individual 
French  persons ;  perhaps  there  were  other 
reasons.  At  any  rate  Vera  was  anxious  to  see 
the  man  in  order  to  make  sure  of  herself;  it 
was  just  as  well,  she  thought,  to  know  one's 
own  heart.  In  any  case  she  would  be  a  patriot 
first.  If  she  found  that  she  still  preserved  some 
affection  for  this  man,  it  might  be  a  comfort  to 
her  wounded  patriotic  spirit  to  offer  her  private 
feelings  a  living  sacrifice.  At  least  she  could 
do  that  much  for  Russia,  if  there  was  little  else 
a  woman  could  do. 


152  MOSCOW 

On  the  day  of  the  evacuation  'of  Moscow 
Vera,  sitting  at  her  window  and  watching  the 
turmoil  and  movement  of  the  people  in  the 
streets  below,  heard  the  footsteps  of  some  one 
running  rapidly  down  the  road.  She  recognised 
Sasha  Maximof,  who  entered  the  house  panting 
and  excited. 

"  Vera,  what  is  the  meaning  of  this  ? "  he 
said  ;  Sasha  was  greatly  agitated — "  I  hear  you 
are  determined  to  remain  in  Moscow — have  you 
thought  of  the  dangers  from  lawless  French 
soldiers,  the  uselessness,  the " 

Vera  laughed.  "  Dear  Sasha,"  she  said, 
"  give  me  time  to  say  '  thank  God  you  are  alive 
and  safe '  ;  remember  that  I  have  not  seen  you 
since  July  and  now  it  is  September,  and  we  have 
heard  nothing  of  you  ! "  Vera  was,  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  more  relieved  and  grateful  on  this 
account  than  she  quite  realised  ;  she  had  worried 
much  on  Sasha's  behalf,  chiefly — as  she  had 
assured  herself — because  of  the  anxiety  of  his 
mother,  who  had  received  no  news  of  her  son, 
but  largely  also  on  her  own  account,  for  at  his 
last  visit  to  Moscow  she  had  learned,  and  made 
no  secret  of  the  fact,  that  young  Maximof  was 
an  immensely  improved  person,  and  that  she 
really  quite  liked  and  admired  him. 


MOSCOW  153 

"  As  for  remaining  in  Moscow,  I  think  I  can 
take  care  of  myself ;  I  speak  French  so  easily, 
you  see,  that  I  shall  pass  as  a  Frenchwoman  in 
case  of  need  ;  for  the  rest,  I  am  not  at  all  afraid, 
and  I  belong,  moreover,  to  the  patriotic  guild 
and  am  bound  to  watch  for  opportunities  to 
serve  our  beloved  Russia." 

"  There  can  be  none,  Vera,  believe  me,  that 
a  woman  can  safely  employ.  For  God's  sake 
be  persuaded  to  leave  the  city." 

Vera  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  Sasha,  I  am  not  to  be  persuaded.  I 
shall  be  safe.  I  am  well  armed,  and  these  two 
faithful  old  servants  who  have  chosen  to  stay 
with  me  are  armed  also ;  we  shall  have  soft 
answers  for  any  who  may  come  to  pillage,  but 
—as  you  know — this  street  is  too  far  from  the 
centre  of  the  city  to  be  in  much  danger  of 
pillaging  parties.  However  this  is  foolish  talk. 
Even  if  there  were  danger,  ten  times  more  than 
you  suppose,  I  should  still  remain  in  Moscow." 

"  I  do  not  like  to  think,  and  yet  it  has  been 
suggested  to  me,"  said  Sasha,  flushing,  "  that 
though  you  are  known  to  be  both  patriotic  and 
fearless,  there  may  be  other  reasons  for  your 
desire  to  remain  in  town.  You  have  many 
friends  among  the  French  ;  possibly  you  are 


154  MOSCOW 

anxious  to  see  or  hear  of  them,  to  know  that  all 
is  well  with  them." 

"  Yes,  that  may  be  true,"  said  Vera,  looking 
Sasha  full  in  the  eyes.  "  One  may  feel  an 
interest  in  personal  friends  even  though  they 
fight  in  the  ranks  of  the  enemy." 

"Of  course,"  Sasha  hesitated,  "you  will  un- 
derstand, Vera,  that  in  saying  this  I  had  no 
arriere  pensee ;  I  mean,  I  was  not  hinting  that 
you  should  tell  me  anything  that  is — is  not  my 
business." 

"Yes,  I  understand,"  said  Vera.  "There  is 
nothing  to  tell.  I  am  interested  to  know 
whether — certain  people — are  alive  ;  but  that  is 
not  my  only  reason  for  remaining  in  Moscow. 
Where  are  you  quartered  ?  " 

"  With  Barclay  de  Tolly's  command.  I  shall 
not  be  far  away — send  for  me,  Vera,  if  you 
should  need  advice  or  assistance  ;  I  wish  to 
God  I  could  stay,  but  of  course  I  cannot  leave 
the  colours." 

"We  have  horses  in  the  stables  and  arms  in 
the  house  and — and  God  will  protect  His  people, 
Sasha ;  the  taking  of  Moscow  is  not  the  end 
of  the  campaign  ;  we  shall  see  what  we  shall 
see.  Yes,  I  wish  also  that  you  were  with  us ; 
but  you  are  doing  your  duty  as  I  believe  I 


MOSCOW  155 

am  doing  mine.      No  one   can   do  more   than 
that!" 

"  No ;  well,  I  must  go,  Vera.  I  wonder 
whether  we  shall  ever  meet  again ;  there  are 
many  dangers  still  in  store  for  both  of  us ;  our 
fate  lies  in  God's  keeping.  Before  I  go  I  will 
say  that  whether  we  live  or  whether  we  die,  I 
know  now  that  you  are  the  only  woman  in  the 
world  for  me.  I  shall  pray  daily  for  your  wel- 
fare, and  that  your  love,  wherever  it  may  be 
given,  may  in  the  end  make  for  your  lasting 
happiness.  May  I  kiss  your  hand  ?  " 

Vera  gave  her  hand  and  Sasha  bowed  over 
it ;  she  kissed  his  forehead,  Russian  fashion,  and 
he  her  hand. 

"  We  will — we  will  think  only  of  Russia  now, 
Sasha,"  she  said  ;  "there  will  be  time  to  talk  of 
other  things  when  her  trouble  is  over." 

Afterwards  Vera  went  into  the  city  to  watch, 
from  a  safe  corner,  the  entrance  of  the  French 
soldiers.  She  saw  Paul  de  Tourelle  march  in 
with  his  regiment,  and  she  recognised  also 
Henri  d'Estreville,  her  own  cousin,  who  rode 
in  with  his  troop  of  lancers,  looking  very  pale 
and  ill.  Paul  seemed  well  and  sound  and  rode 
with  all  that  air  of  aristocratic  hauteur  which 
was  natural  to  this  undoubtedly  splendid-looking 


- 


156  MOSCOW 

youth.  Vera  made  a  close  examination  of  her 
feelings  as  she  watched  him  and  found  that  the 
dominating  sentiment  seemed  to  be  one  of  anger 
that  he,  too,  should  be  among  these  detested 
ranks  of  the  successful  enemies  of  her  country 
and  of  indignation  that  he  should  assume  so 
swaggering  an  air.  Still,  she  was  glad  that  he 
was  alive  and  well,  and  admitted  to  herself  that 
he  looked  handsome  enough. 

When  she  safely  reached  her  house,  late  in 
the  afternoon,  a  great  surprise  was  in  store  for 
her. 

Sasha  Maximof  met  her  in  the  entrance  hall, 
having  opened  the  door  for  her.  He  was  in 
plain  clothes ;  the  first  time  since  her  childhood 
that  she  had  ever  seen  him  out  of  uniform. 
Sasha  smiled  radiantly. 

"Thank  God  you  are  safe!"  he  exclaimed. 
"  Vera,  what  a  risk  you  have  run  in  going  out 
into  the  streets  !  " 

Vera  flushed  with  joy  to  see  him  and  even 
laughed  aloud  in  pure  relief  and  contentment, 
though  she  made  a  show  of  attributing  her 
mirth  to  his  appearance. 

"  Sasha !  "  she  cried — "  you  in  plain  clothes — 
oh,  how  funny! — explain,  what  is  the  meaning 
of  this  metamorphosis  ?  " 


MOSCOW  157 

"  I  have  got  leave  of  absence,"  he  replied, 
"  on  the  plea  of  protecting  ladies  of  my  family  ; 
I  can  stay  a  while ;  I  shall  be  in  the  house  if 
you  will  permit  me,  Vera,  and  I  will  join  your 
patriotic  league.  Look — is  that  some  of  your 
work  ? "  He  led  Vera  to  a  window  and  pointed 
towards  the  commercial  portion  of  the  city ;  a 
thick  smoke  rose  from  the  quarter  indicated. 
"  Our  friends  have  begun  early !  "  Sasha  laughed 
exultingly.  "Is  it  Rostopchin's  agents,  think 
you,  or  the  patriots  ? " 

"The  patriots,"  Vera  replied.  "We  shall 
burn  all  Moscow,  Sasha,  it  is  the  principal  part 
of  our  programme.  I  told  you  the  campaign  is 
not  yet  over.  How  long  will  the  troops  occupy 
a  burning  city  ?  A  week  ?  Two  weeks  ?  And 
then  comes  Kootoozofs  opportunity  ;  Platof  and 
his  Cossacks ;  the  Drujina  of  Moscow,  and  all 
you  good  regulars  ;  you  shall  fall  upon  them  like 
terriers  upon  the  rats.  Now  do  you  understand 
why  we  of  the  league  must  remain  in  Moscow  ?  " 

"  I  see — I  see !  "  said  Sasha,  trembling  with 
excitement.  "Yes!  there  is  work  to  be  done 
in  the  city,  you  are  right,  Vera ;  but  it  is  not 
woman's  work ;  it  is  work  for  desperate  men, 
Vera,  not  for  fair  girls." 

"  My  friend,  the  men  are  occupied  in  sharpen- 


158  MOSCOW 

ing  their  swords,  in  drilling,  in  preparing  for 
the  running  of  the  rats  when  the  haystack  is 
burned.  We  have  no  men  in  Moscow,  except- 
ing the  old  and  the  infirm." 

"  Oh,  I  am  glad  I  came,  I  am  glad  I  came ! '' 
said  Sasha,  his  teeth  chattering  with  the  agita- 
tion of  the  moment. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

LATE  that  same  evening  Vera  had  cause  to 
reiterate  Sasha's  exclamation  that  it  was  well 
he  had  come  to  Moscow. 

At  ten  o'clock  there  came  a  loud  knocking  at 
the  door,  and  Sasha,  peeping  out  of  an  upper 
window,  descried  a  group  of  three  or  four  per- 
sons, French  officers  as  he  judged  from  their 
talk. 

Maximof  armed  himself  with  pistol  and 
dagger  and  placed  the  two  old  servants  in  the 
entrance  hall  with  orders  to  keep  the  visitors 
covered  with  their  muskets,  but  not  to  fire 
unless  specially  told  to  do  so.  Vera  awaited 
developments  in  a  room  adjoining  the  hall, 
armed  and  perfectly  composed. 

Then  Maximof  opened  the  barred  door. 
Three  young  French  officers  entered  and 
closed  the  door  behind  them.  They  laughed 
to  see  the  two  old  men  standing  with  musket 
to  shoulder. 

"  Tell  them  to  lower  their  weapons,"  said  the 
159 


160  MOSCOW 

spokesman  in  French,  addressing  Sasha ;  "I 
do  not  speak  your  infernal  language  ;  we  mean 
no  harm  but  only  seek  information." 

"  Let  me  first  understand  your  errand,"  said 
Sasha  in  his  best  French.  "The  men  will  not 
hurt  you  except  at  a  word  from  me." 

"Well,  then,  is  this  the  quarter  of  Moscow 
known  as  the  Sloboda  ? "  said  the  officer.  "  We 
are  in  search  of  the  ladies  of  the  French  Theat- 
rical Company,  old  friends  of  ours  in  Paris, 
who,  we  are  told,  dwell  in  this  quarter  of  the 
city.  Maybe  you  can  direct  us.  You  are,  I 
conclude,  a  foreigner,  or  you  would  be  with 
the  army — what  we  have  left  of  it." 

"  This  is  the  Sloboda,  but  I  know  nothing 
about  your  actresses,"  began  Sasha,  but  to  his 
horror  Vera  suddenly  made  her  appearance  in 
the  hall,  coming  to  the  door  of  the  room  in 
which  she  had  stationed  herself.  The  hall 
was  lighted  with  but  a  single  oil  lamp  hung 
over  the  front  door,  so  that  faces  were  seen  but 
indistinctly. 

"  It  may  be  that  I  can  enlighten  Monsieur," 
said  Vera;  "I  overheard  his  request  for  in- 
formation. The  Governor-General  caused  the 
removal  of  the  entire  French  company  three 
days  ago,  considering  this  advisable  with  a 


MOSCOW  161 

view  to  their  safety.  They  are  not  in 
Moscow." 

"Sapristi!"  exclaimed  the  young  French 
officer,  who  had  acted  as  spokesman;  "that 
is  a  voice  that  I  know,  though  it  is  too  dark 
to  distinguish  faces.  Is  it  possible  that  I 
address  Mademoiselle  Vera  Demidof?"  He 
took  a  step  forward.  Sasha  instantly  barred 
the  way. 

"Back,  Monsieur,"  he  said.  "There  is  no 
admittance  excepting  at  Mademoiselle's  orders." 

Vera  had  started  at  the  sound  of  the  officer's 
voice.  "  Sasha,  it  is  Paul  de  Tourelle,"  she 
said  ;  "  there  is  nothing  to  fear,  let  him  enter." 

"What,  and  these  others  also?"  asked 
Sasha. 

"  I  will  answer  for  their  good  behaviour, 
Monsieur,"  said  Paul.  "  Perhaps  Mademoiselle 
will  accord  me  the  honour  of  a  few  moments' 
conversation  while  these  gentlemen  rest  them- 
selves in  the  hall." 

"  Yes,  I  will  speak  with  you — come  in  here !  " 
Vera  indicated  the  room  which  she  had  quitted 
a  moment  before.  Maximof  took  his  stand  at 
the  door.  He  waved  his  hand  to  the  two  old 
servants.  " Rebydta"  he  said,  "you  can  lower 

your    muskets   but    remain   here."      The    two 

ii 


162  MOSCOW 

young  Frenchmen  stood  at  the  stove  to  warm 
themselves.  Sasha  heard  their  conversation, 
which  they  took  no  pains  to  conceal  from  his 
ears. 

"  Our  little  Paul  has  found  a  friend  it  seems," 
said  one,  laughing ;  "  he  is  indeed  a  wonderful 
man  for  the  ladies.  This  will  console  him  for 
Clotilde's  absence." 

"  Curses  upon  the  Governor-General,  he 
might  at  least  have  left  us  the  ladies  of  the 
Comedie  Fran9aise ! "  said  the  other.  "  I  had 
looked  forward  to  seeing  my  little  Jeanne.  May- 
be the  Russian  wench  was  lying,  for  reasons  of 
her  own." 

"  Beware  what  you  say  here,  Monsieur,"  said 
Sasha  angrily,  "  or  your  friend  may  find  you  no 
longer  waiting  when  he  comes  forth." 

"  Pardon,  a  thousand  pardons,  Monsieur  ; 
I  forgot  that  you  spoke  our  language,"  said  the 
officer  politely  ;  "  do  me  the  favour  to  regard 
my  foolish  words  as  unsaid." 

1  he  conversation  was  conducted  in  whispers 
from  this  point  and  Sasha  heard  no  more  of  it. 

Meanwhile  Paul  de  Tourelle,  so  soon  as  the 
door  was  closed  behind  him,  had  made  as  though 
he  would  take  Vera's  hand  and  draw  her  to  him, 
but  she  waved  him  away. 


MOSCOW  163 

"  Do  not  touch  me,  Monsieur,"  she  said.  "  I 
have  admitted  you  only  for  the  purpose  of 
making  it  clear  to  you  that  there  can  at  present 
be  no  communication  between  us.  I  must  re- 
gard you  as  an  enemy." 

"But,  Mademoiselle!"  exclaimed  Paul,  "what 
is  this  you  say?  In  Paris  we  spoke  of  love; 
I  hasten  to  Moscow,  whither  you  have  gone 
before  me ;  I  find  you  unexpectedly,  and  you 
tell  me  that  I  have  come  in  vain.  Did  I  not 
say  that  I  would  meet  you  in  Moscow  ? " 

"And  did  not  I  reply  that  I  would  rather 
never  see  you  again  than  meet  you  in  Moscow  ? 
No,  Monsieur.  I  have  no  heart  for  love,  no 
thought  to  spare  for  such  matters,  for  my  whole 
being  is  at  present  absorbed  in  the  sorrows  of  my 
dear  country.  I  am  glad  that  I  have  seen  you, 
since  I  am  now  assured  of  your  safety  but " 

"  Come,  let  me  be  thankful  for  the  smallest 
of  mercies!"  Paul  laughed  bitterly.  "At  any 
rate  Mademoiselle  is  relieved  to  hear  that  I  am 
not  yet  buried  beneath  the  soil  of  her  dear 
country.  We  are  very  far  from  the  point, 
however,  which  we  discussed,  Mademoiselle,  in 
Paris.  At  that  time  we  spoke  of  love  ;  now 
it  is  sufficient  for  you  that  I  am  alive — parbleu  ! 

you  are  liberal  with  your  favours." 

ii  * 


164  MOSCOW 

"  Monsieur,  I  will  wish  you  good-night.  This 
conversation  can  serve  no  good  end.  It  is  true 
that  in  Paris  you  spoke  of  love ;  as  for  me,  I 
spoke  of  a  liking  which  one  day  might  ripen 
into  love ;  that  day  has  not  yet  arrived,  Mon- 
sieur ;  at  this  moment  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  it  can  never  dawn  ;  I  unsay  all  that  I  said 
in  Paris,  which  you  will  remember  was  not 
much." 

Paul  burst  into  loud  laughter  which  had, 
however,  no  merriment  in  it.  "  I  think  I  under- 
stand, Mademoiselle,"  he  said ;  "  the  young 
gentleman  who  prefers  to  act  as  your  door- 
keeper rather  than  take  his  share  in  with- 
standing the  enemies  of  your  country  :  he  is 
perhaps  the  fiance^  of  whom  we  once  spoke,  or 
maybe  a  nearer  friend " 

"  Monsieur,  I  have  wished  you  good-night." 

"  Oh,  but  pardon,  Mademoiselle,  I  have  not 
yet  finished  that  which  I  have  to  say  ;  perhaps 
Mademoiselle  would  prefer  if  I  continued  and 
finished  with  Monsieur  her  friend.  The  matter 
may  be  settled  without  many  words." 

Vera's  face  paled  a  little,  but  she  spoke 
resolutely.  "  If  Monsieur  is  wise,"  she  said, 
"he  will  not  quarrel  with  Monsieur  le  Comte 
Maximof,  who  is  at  present  acting  as  my  pro- 


MOSCOW  165 

tector  in  this  city  of  many  perils  ;  the  servants 
would  not  wait  to  fire  their  muskets  if  voices 
were  raised  or  threats  used.  Be  wise,  Mon- 
sieur de  Tourelle,  and  take  your  departure  in 
peace.  You  have  no  quarrel  with  my  friend, 
and  none,  I  trust,  with  myself." 

"  Oh,  as  to  yourself,  Mademoiselle,  I  am  not 
deceived ;  I  shall  hope  to  find  compensation 
elsewhere  for  Mademoiselle's  unkindness.  But 
for  the  other  matter,  that,  with  your  kind  per- 
mission, shall  be  as  I  choose  to  decide."  Paul 
bowed  and  made  his  exit. 

Apparently  the  decision  was  for  peace.  He 
called  to  his  companions  to  come  away. 

"  Au  revoir,  Monsieur,"  he  said  to  Maximof, 
at  whom  he  now  gazed  very  fixedly,  as  though 
he  would  make  a  note  of  his  features ;  "I  have 
no  doubt  we  shall  meet  again  shortly." 

"With  all  my  heart,"  said  Sasha,  bowing; 
"for  I  shall  then  request  Monsieur  to  repeat 
certain  words  he  thought  proper  to  address  to 
me,  but  now " 

"  Monsieur  shall  have  the  words  repeated," 
replied  Paul,  laughing  ;  "  come,  my  friends." 

"  You  did  not  tell  us,  Paul,  that  Moscow 
contained  other  objects  of  familiar  interest  to 
you  besides  Clotilde,"  his  companions  observed 


166  MOSCOW 

as  the  door  closed  behind  the  trio  and  was 
fastened  by  Maximof.  "  She  seemed  gentile ; 
may  we  be  introduced  perhaps  ? " 

"  Bah — you  would  not  thank  me.  They  are 
sour,  these  Russian  women.  This  one  has  been 
in  Paris,  and  is,  at  least,  civilised  ;  but  she  would 
visit  upon  each  of  you  the  sin  of  his  Majesty 
who  has  declared  war  upon  her  country." 

"  Patriotism  is  a  virtue,  I  do  not  dislike  that 
in  her ;  when  the  war  is  over  you  shall  make 
us  known  to  this  lady  of  spirit,  Paul,"  said  the 
other. 

"  When  the  war  is  over,"  replied  Paul,  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders  and  laughing,  "  I  may  want 
her  myself.  Remember,  both  of  you,  the  face 
of  that  Russian  in  plain  clothes,  and  if  you 
should  see  him  about  the  streets,  inform  me 
of  it ;  I  have  a  little  bill  to  settle  with  my 
gentleman." 

"  What,  a  case  of  poaching  upon  preserved 
ground  ?  "  One  of  Paul's  friends  laughed,  and 
the  other  remarked  :  "  Poor  little  Russian  if  it 
comes  to  accounts  with  our  little  Paul  de 
Tourelle !  He  had  better  have  remained  with 
the  army ! " 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

EARLY  in  the  morning  two  days  after  Paul's 
visit  to  the  Demidof  mansion  in  the  Sloboda 
quarter,  a  man  came  and  knocked  the  house 
up.  He  asked  to  see  Vera  and  explained  his 
mission  thus  : — 

"The  French  Emperor,"  he  said,  "is  estab- 
lished in  the  Kremlin,  in  the  dwelling  of  our 
Tsars  ;  there  is  a  meeting  at  ten  in  the  house 
in  the  Tverskoy  to  decide  what  is  best  to  be 
done  ". 

Both  Vera  and  Sasha  Maximof  attended  that 
meeting,  when  it  was  decided  that  terrible  as 
such  a  thing  must  appear  to  every  good  and 
patriotic  Russian,  the  Kremlin  Palace  itself 
must  be  ignited  or  blown  up.  Better  destroy 
than  allow  it  to  be  defiled  by  the  presence  of 
these  foreigners,  with  the  antichrist  himself  at 
their  head  ! 

Volunteers  were  called  for  to  attempt  the 
dangerous  enterprise.  To  Vera's  joy  and 

pride   Sasha   was   one   of  the  first   to  give   in 

167 


168  MOSCOW 

his  name,  and  was  chosen  with  a  dozen  others 
to  evolve  a  scheme  and  put  it  into  practice 
without  delay. 

"  I  am  proud  of  you,"  she  whispered  ;  "it  is 
a  dangerous  venture  ;  if  I  were  a  man  I  should 
be  with  you." 

"Yes,  I  am  sure  of  that,"  Sasha  laughed. 

He  was  grave  enough,  however,  when  the 
time  came  to  go  forth  upon  his  mission.  The 
Kremlin  was  full  of  French  guards  and  the 
attempt  to  be  made  by  himself  and  his  com- 
panions was  perilous  in  the  extreme. 

"  Promise  me  you  will  leave  Moscow  if  any- 
thing should  happen  to  me,"  he  said  at  parting 
from  Vera.  "  You  must  see  that  it  is  not  safe 
for  you  here  ;  the  town  already  burns  on  all 
sides,  I  do  not  see  that  you  can  do  any  further 
good  by  remaining ;  the  French  rats  will  soon 
be  obliged  to  bolt." 

"Yes,  I  think  that  is  so  ;  I  promise  to  be 
very  discreet ;  the  work  has  certainly  gone  well 
forward  these  two  days.  But  do  not  speak  as 
though  you  would  not  return,  dear  Sasha,  for 
you,  too,  will  be  discreet  and  careful.  Run 
no  needless  risks ;  your  enterprise  may  be  per- 
formed in  safety,  promise  me  you  will  be 
careful." 


MOSCOW  169 

"  If  I  thought,"  Sasha  faltered,  "that  it  was 
of  consequence  to  you  whether  I  lived  or  died, 
I  would  be  careful  indeed." 

"  But,  mon  ami,  it  is  of  the  greatest  conse- 
quence to  me  ;  are  you  not  my  protector  here 
in  Moscow?  Are  you  not,  too,  one  of  our 
patriots  and  engaged  even  now  upon  a  scheme 
which  all  Russia  shall  one  day  speak  of  and 
applaud  ?  " 

"  Yes — but  apart  from  that — personally,  I 
mean,  Vera ;  if  only  I  might  take  with  me  the 
knowledge  that  you  cared  even  a  little  for  me, 
I  would  go  to  the  gates  of  hell  and  return 
safely." 

"  Dear  Sasha,  I  like  you  very  much — far 
better  than  I  used  to  like  you.  I  suppose  one 
would  always  be  interested  in  a  person  who 
had  once  been  her  fiance." 

"Yes,  yes,  but " 

"  But  you  have  been  so  specially  kind  and 
attentive  to  me  that — that  you  must  really  re- 
turn, Sasha;  I — I  insist." 

"  Say  that  it  matters  to  you  personally,  Vera, 
and  by  all  the  blessed  Saints  not  all  the  soldiers 
of  Napoleon  shall  prevent  my  returning." 

"Oh,  boaster,"  said  Vera,  attempting  to  with- 
draw her  hand,  which  he  had  captured  and  was 


i;o  MOSCOW 

now  covering  with  kisses  ;  "  I  will  say  no  more 
than  this,  '  please  return  safely ' !  " 

Sasha  Maximof  went  out,  presently,  upon  his 
dangerous  errand,  and  Vera  was  surprised  to 
find  how  anxiously  she  awaited  his  return.  She 
waited  two  hours,  three,  four,  and  then  could 
bear  the  strain  no  longer.  She  had  watched 
the  sky  in  the  direction  of  the  Kremlin,  but 
had  not  been  able  to  discern  that  smoke  rose 
from  that  particular  quarter,  though  in  almost 
every  other  direction  the  heavens  were  ob- 
scured by  lurid  clouds  of  black  vapour,  increas- 
ing evidence  of  the  activity  of  the  patriotic 
league. 

When  four  hours  had  passed  and  there  was 
still  no  news  of  Sasha,  Vera  could  bear  her 
anxiety  no  longer,  and  sallied  forth  to  see 
whether  she  could  hear  from  others  any  news 
of  the  Kremlin  enterprise.  She  visited  one  or 
two  of  her  friends  in  the  Sloboda,  but  no  one 
had  yet  received  any  news. 

Then  she  ventured  into  the  portion  of  the 
city  which  was  actually  occupied  by  French 
troops,  and  even  penetrated  close  to  the  outer 
wall  of  the  Kremlin  enclosure  itself. 

A  dozen  times  she  was  accosted  by  soldiers, 
none  too  politely,  but  in  each  case  Vera  sue- 


MOSCOW  171 

cessfully  eluded  her  impudent  admirers  and 
proceeded  upon  her  way,  pursued  by  remarks 
which,  if  she  had  attended  to  or  even  heard 
them,  would  have  caused  her  cheeks  to  flush  ; 
but  her  mind  was  fully  occupied  and  she  heard 
nothing. 

Close  to  the  Great  Arch  of  the  Kremlin  she 
was  startled  to  hear  the  sound  of  shots  many 
times  repeated.  She  hesitated  before  entering 
the  Kremlin  enclosure;  dared  she  penetrate  thus 
into  the  very  heart  of  the  occupied  quarters? 

A  group  of  Russians,  old  men  mostly,  hawkers 
of  lemon  drinks  and  of  prianniki,  or  biscuits, 
presently  came  hurrying  out  into  the  street,  chat- 
tering and  crossing  themselves,  a  few  French 
soldiers  chasing  them  through  the  archway  out 
of  the  Kremlin. 

"  B6je  moy,  it  is  horrible  !  "  she  heard  an  old 
man  exclaim  ;  "  I  shall  dream  of  it !  " 

Vera  accosted  him.  "What  is  it,  father? 
What  has  happened  ?  "  she  asked. 

"What  has  happened  ?"  said  the  old  fellow 
crossing  himself  and  looking  round  to  see 
whether  the  French  soldiers  listened,  "Why, 
murder  has  happened  ;  the  shedding  of  good 
Russian  blood  ;  butchery  I  call  it !  Did  you 
not  hear  the  shots?  A  dozen  of  them,  all  shot 


172  MOSCOW 

down  one  after  another  by  these  most  damnable 
foreigners !  As  if  they  have  not  shed  blood 
enough  already,  Russian  blood  too,  which  is  the 
holiest  of  all  and  the  best !  " 

' 'Yes,  but  whose  blood  is  this  you  speak  of? 
who  has  been  shot  ? "  asked  Vera,  her  heart 
feeling  like  lead. 

"  Why,  Russians  ;  good  patriotic  fellows  who 
had  done  nothing  worse  than  attempt  to  burn 
down  the  great  palace  with  the  French  Tsar  in- 
side it — would  to  God  they  had  succeeded ! 
Well,  they  were  caught  and  shot,  a  dozen  or 
more  of  them." 

"  All  shot — every  one  of  them  ? "  Vera  asked 
faintly.  "  Are  you  sure  that  all  were  shot  ?  " 

"  Every  single  one — I  saw  it  done  ;  that's 
what  I  say,  that  I  shall  dream  of  it ;  I  called 
the  French  soldiers  shameful  names,  but  they 
do  not  understand  Russian,  though  they  turned 
us  all  out  for  booing  at  them  ;  it  is  a  mercy  we 
too  were  not  shot ;  yet  who  could  stand  and  see 
the  murder  done  without  protesting  ?  Why, 
what  ails  you,  dooshd  tui  moyd  ?  One  would 
think  your  sweetheart  had  been  among  these 
butchered  men." 

Vera  said  nothing  but  turned  away  with  dry 
eyes  and  a  steady  lip.  Within  her  breast, 


MOSCOW  173 

however,  her  heart   lay    dead-cold   and   heavy 
as  lead. 

"  I  wish  I  had  been  among  them,"  the  thought 
came  a  hundred  times  into  her  brain.  "  Why 
was  I  not  among  them,  at  his  side  ?  " 

"  Yes,  that  would  have  been  far  better — to 
have  died  at  his  side !  " 

Vera  heard  the  sound  of  horses'  hoofs  behind 
her,  but  took  no  notice.  Some  one  shouted, 
and  she  stepped  automatically  out  of  the  road- 
way upon  the  raised  wooden  pavement  at  the 
side. 

"  That  is  a  French  dress,"  she  heard  a  man 
say,  and  seemed  to  recognise  the  voice,  but  her 
thoughts  were  far  away.  "How  came  she  here  ? 
— ask  her,  General."  Vera  half  awoke  from 
her  dream  of  misery  and  looked  up  ;  Napoleon 
was  at  her  elbow  on  horseback,  with  his  suite 
in  attendance.  She  was  about  to  make  the 
reverence  which  her  familiarity  with  the  Court 
in  Paris  prompted  her  to  offer  automatically  at 
sight  of  the  sovereign  ;  but  she  bethought  herself 
and  left  the  curtsy  half  made. 

"Who  is  it — I  know  the  face,"  said  Napoleon; 
"  who  are  you,  mon  enfant,  and  what  do  you 
here  ?  Have  I  not  seen  you  in  Paris  ?  " 

"  Sire,  it  is  the  daughter  of  the  Secretary  of  the 


174  MOSCOW 

Russian  Embassy,"  explained  an  aide-de-camp  ; 
"  Mademoiselle  Demidof." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Napoleon,  smiling  benignly  ; 
"pardon  me,  Mademoiselle,  I  took  you  for  a 
French  lady  and  wondered  at  your  presence 
here  ;  may  I  add  that  so  fair  a  face  courts  danger 
in  Moscow  at  the  present  moment  ? " 

Vera  had  stood  still,  gazing  with  set  face  from 
one  man  to  the  other  as  each  spoke.  Her  heart 
swelled  with  indignation  and  hatred.  This  was 
the  very  arch-enemy  himself ;  the  fiend  in  man's 
likeness  who  had  brought  ruin  upon  her  country 
and  upon  this  holy  city. 

"  Shall  I  then  be  shot  down  in  cold  blood  as 
your  Majesty  has  just  slaughtered  a  body  of  my 
poor  countrymen  ?  "  she  said  suddenly. 

"  Morbleu  ! "  exclaimed  Napoleon,  glancing 
angrily  at  the  girl.  He  paused  a  moment,  then 
laughed,  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  rode  on. 

"She  is  mad,  Sire,  patriot-mad!"  Vera  heard 
some  one  say,  and  the  Emperor's  reply  reached 
her  ears  :  "  She  has  nevertheless  a  fine  spirit". 

Vera  hastened  homewards.  She  forgot  the 
incident  of  her  encounter  with  Napoleon  ;  she 
took  no  notice  of  the  hundreds  of  compliments, 
impudent  observations  and  rude  jests  thrown  at 
her  bv  scores  of  French  soldiers  as  she  passed  ; 


MOSCOW  175 

Sasha  Maximof  was  dead  :  this  was  her  only 
thought ;  it  absorbed  her  entire  being  ;  was  it — 
she  asked  herself — really  so  all-important  to  her 
that  this  man  was  dead  ?  She  had  not  yet  learned 
to  love  him ;  it  must  surely  be  a  mere  senti- 
mental regret,  this  black  heavy  weight  upon  her 
heart ;  a  sentimental  regret  that  one  who  had  once 
been  nominally  her  fiance  had  suddenly  met  his 
death  ;  her  heart  had  not  received  its  death- 
wound — oh  no !  this  was  but  a  passing  feeling 
of  sympathy  and  sorrow ;  it  would  disappear ; 
the  shock  of  the  sudden  catastrophe  had  un- 
nerved her. 

Nevertheless  when  Vera  had  lain  for  an  hour 
upon  her  bed,  assuring  herself  that  after  all  this 
calamity  was  not  really  a  disaster,  for  her,  of  the 
first  magnitude,  she  suddenly  realised  that  no- 
thing in  the  world  could  have  mattered  more  to 
her  than  the  death  of  this  man  ;  and  turning  her 
face  to  the  wall  she  wept  as  though  her  heart 
were  indeed  broken. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

VERA  heard  a  banging  at  the  front  door — a 
sound  which  might  have  startled  and  even 
frightened  her  at  another  moment,  but  she  was 
so  full  of  her  new  grief  that  she  scarcely  noticed 
it ;  she  felt  as  though  nothing  mattered  ;  that 
she  did  not  care  what  happened. 

Then  old  Michael,  one  of  the  two  servants 
who  had  remained  in  the  house  when  the  rest 
left  Moscow,  knocked  at  her  door  and  put  his 
head  into  the  room. 

"  Goloobushka  moyd"  he  said,  "  do  not  be 
frightened,  a  disaster  has  happened  ;  the  young 

Graf  Maximof "  he  paused ;  Vera  laughed 

hysterically. 

"Yes,  yes,  go  on;  he  has  been  shot — he  is 
dead — they  have  brought  his  body ;  you  may 
tell  me  all,  Michael." 

"  Oh,  liubeemaya,  not  so  bad  as  that ;  but  he 
is  hurt." 

"  What  do  you  say— he  is  not  dead  ? "  cried 

Vera ;  she  sprang  from  the  bed  upon  which  she 

176 


MOSCOW  177 

lay.     "Is  he  dying,  is  he  mortally  wounded,  tell 
me  quickly,  has  Stepan  gone  for  a  doctor  ?  " 

"But  I  did  not  say  matters  were  so  bad  as 
that ! "  exclaimed  old  Michael,  startled  by  her 
agitation.  "  The  Count  has,  I  think,  been  fight- 
ing— there  is  a  rag  bound  round  his  wrist  which 
is  covered  with  blood  and  he  is  pale  and  faint, 
but " 

"  But  is  he  not  shot — I  thought — stop,  Michael 
— go  down  and  say  that  I  will  come  immediately 
— I  am  not  quite  ready — I  think  I  have  been 
dreaming — do  not  tell  the  Count  what  I  have 
said." 

Old  Michael  went  downstairs  muttering  and 
crossing  himself.  His  beloved  mistress  could 
not  be  well  if  she  dreamed  in  this  fashion  by 
daylight ;  what  did  it  mean  ? 

Vera  dashed  water  upon  her  eyes  and 
smoothed  her  ruffled  hair ;  she  stood  a  moment 
before  her  ikon  and  prayed  ;  her  eyes  were 
bright  and  her  cheeks  flushed  ;  the  expression 
of  utter  misery  had  left  her  face. 

She  found  Sasha  sitting  dejected  and  pale, 
his  arm  bound  up  with  a  cloth  which,  as 
Michael  said,  was  soaked  in  blood. 

"  What  has  happened — what  is  the  matter  ? 

Are  you  hurt,   Sasha?"    she  asked,  assuming 

12 


178  MOSCOW 

her  usual  air  of  composure,  though  her  heart 
beat  wildly  with  a  variety  of  emotions. 

"  Vera,  I  am  disgraced — doubly  disgraced. 
We  failed  in  our  attempt — all  my  poor  com- 
panions are  dead — shot — I  almost  wish  I  had 
died  with  them — I  feel  dishonoured — shamed  ; 
see,  I  cannot  look  you  in  the  face." 

Vera  leaned  over  and  kissed  his  forehead  ; 
he  looked  up  gratefully  but  said  nothing. 

"  I  am  sure  you  are  not  dishonoured,"  she 
murmured  softly;  "let  me  first  attend  to  your 
arm,  and  then  you  shall  tell  me  all." 

"  I  will  tell  you  as  you  bind  me,"  he  said,  and 
began  at  once. 

"  We  carried  out  the  first  part  of  our  scheme 
successfully  ;  we  got  into  the  stables  and  set  fire 
to  straw  and  rubbish,  but  the  smoke  frightened 
the  horses  and  there  was  a  great  commotion. 
We  were  found  and  dragged  out  by  soldiers. 
Several  young  officers,  quartered  in  the  Krem- 
lin, ran  up  and  we  were  all  pulled  about  and 
insulted.  Among  the  officers  were  two  of  those 
who  came  to  this  house.  '  Look  here,'  said  one, 
on  recognising  me,  'look,  Paul,  here  is  your 
acquaintance  of  the  other  evening  ; '  whereupon 
the  impertinent  one  whom  you  interviewed  alone 
that  day  saw  me  also.  He  called  up  half  a 


MOSCOW  179 

dozen  fellows  and  bade  them  take  me  to  his 
quarters.  Of  course  I  struggled,  but  I  soon 
saw  it  was  useless  and  went  with  them.  After- 
wards I  heard  that  the  Emperor  suddenly  ap- 
peared upon  the  scene  and  asked  what  had 
happened  and  who  were  these  men,  meaning 
my  late  companions.  When  he  was  told  he 
frowned  and  twisted  his  nose  and  called  them 
canaille  and  bade  the  soldiers  shoot  them  down, 
then  and  there,  for  which  butchery  I  trust  he 
may  be  tortured  in  eternal  fires. 

"As  for  me,  I  was  taken  to  a  house  in  the 
Kremlin  in  which  your  friend  is  quartered, 
and  thither  he  came,  presently,  and  found  me 
awaiting  his  pleasure,  which,  it  seemed,  was  to 
answer  to  him  at  the  sword's  point  for  my  pre- 
sumption in  posing  as  your  protector  in  Moscow ; 
at  any  rate,  I  could  learn  no  other  reason  for 
his  particular  animosity  against  me.  You  may 
believe  that  I  was  charmed  to  meet  his  wishes 
even  though  he  had  not  assured  me,  which  he 
did  many  times,  that  I  might  thank  my  stars  I 
had  not  been  left  by  him  with  my  fellow  con- 
spirators ;  for  it  seems  Napoleon  had  himself 
condemned  them  to  instant  death,  giving  the 
order,  so  your  French  friend  said,  carelessly 

over  his  left  shoulder  as  though  the  talk  were 

12  * 


i8o  MOSCOW 

of  drowning  so  many  rats.  Well,  we  fought, 
and  there  is  my  disgrace,  for  though  I  thought 
I  could  fence,  the  fellow  had  me  at  his  mercy 
with  many  French  tricks  which  I  had  never 
seen.  Doubtless  he  could  have  ended  me  several 
times  over,  but  he  forbore.  I  am  ashamed 
and  disgraced,  Vera,  I  have  come  home  beaten 
like  a  dog  that  slinks  into  his  kennel  after  a 
thrashing.  There  is  excuse  for  me,  but  I  do 
not  claim  it — strange,  foreign  swords  to  fight 
with,  the  shock  of  my  companions'  deaths,  the 
uncertainty  whether,  if  I  fell  savagely  upon  the 
man  and  bore  him  down  by  sheer  stress,  I  should 
not  injure  a  dear  heart  at  home  which  perhaps 
held  his  life  as  a  precious  thing." 

Vera  laughed  hysterically. 

"Who  knows,"  she  cried,  "perhaps  the  same 
generous  consideration  held  his  hand  also  !  " 

"Ah,  you  mock  me ;  well,  beaten  and  disgraced 
I  am,  and  it  is  useless  to  conceal  the  truth.  Yes, 
he  withheld  his  hand,  he  could  have  given  me 
the  point  a  dozen  times  while  I  never  touched 
him,  not  once.  There  is  worse  behind.  He 
made  me  promise,  under  threat  to  send  me  back 
to  his  master  to  share  the  fate  of  my  fellows, 
that  I  would  give  you  a  detestable  message. 
Please  do  not  blame  me,  Vera,  I  cannot  help 


MOSCOW  181 

it,  for  the  promise  was  given.  Before  giving 
it  I  fell  upon  him  furiously,  and  it  was  thus  I 
received  this  wound  in  my  sword-arm,  which 
incapacitated  me.  I  was  to  say  that  he  returned 
to  you  a  spoilt  lover,  but  perhaps  good  enough 
for  one  who  could  not  tell  a  man  from  a  moujik." 

Vera's  eyes  flashed  and  her  bosom  heaved. 
"Is  that  all?"  she  asked. 

"  Not  quite.  I  must  say  all  he  bade  me  tell 
you.  Tell  her,  he  said,  that  next  time  man 
meets  moujik  matters  will  end  less  happily  for 
the  moujik ;  she  had  better  send  him  out  of 
Moscow,  there  is  less  danger  for  him  without 
than  within  the  walls." 

"  If  you  had  killed  him  for  that  speech,  I  could 
not  have  blamed  you,  my  friend,"  answered  Vera. 
"When  I  see  him  I  will  tell  him  something." 

"  I  could  then  no  longer  even  attempt  to  kill 
him,"  said  Sasha,  blushing  hotly,  "for  I  was 
helpless  ;  we  had  finished  fighting,  and  I  was 
worsted.  I  thought  it  better  to  bear  the  dis- 
grace of  telling  you  this  than  to  go  back  to  the 
Red  Plain  in  order  to  be  shot  in  cold  blood  by 
Napoleon's  men.  I  have  not  done  with  him. 
With  God's  help  I  will  one  day  give  him  quid 
for  his  quo.  Until  I  shall  have  done  this  I  can 
enjoy  no  self-respect.  With  my  own  sword  I 


i82  MOSCOW 

may  do  better,  though  he  has  the  devil's  own 
skill."    Vera  considered  a  while,  then  she  spoke. 

"  I  think  we  will  go  out  of  Moscow  ;  there  is 
no  longer  any  reason  to  stay  here.  The  smoke 
hangs  over  the  city  in  every  direction  ;  already 
there  is  more  fire  than  all  Napoleon's  men  can 
extinguish ;  within  a  fortnight  the  rats  must  make 
their  bolt." 

"  We  have  done  something,  certainly,  but  it 
is  not  yet  time  to  go — not  for  me ;  for  you  it  is 
different ;  go,  in  God's  name,  Vera ;  I  will  do 
your  work  and  mine.  In  the  face  of  this  man's 
insult  I  cannot  leave  Moscow." 

"  Yes — that  is  true  ;  you  cannot ;  we  will  stay, 
then,  Sasha ;  I  do  not  doubt  that  we  shall  find 
work  to  our  hands.  Do  not  search  out  this  man, 
however ;  leave  your  quarrel  in  God's  hands. 
Promise  me  you  will  not  be  rash,  Sasha." 

"  Ah,  I  see  you  think  that  I  have  no  chance 
against  him  ;  yet  I  am  not  a  fool  with  the  rapier, 
Vera,  my  own  weapon,  mind  you,  not  his.  I 
shall  have  a  chance,  though  I  admit  he  is  very 
clever.  If  he  were  as  clever  as  the  prince  of 
all  the  devils  I  must  meet  him." 

"  He  is  the  best  fencer  in  Paris,  mon  ami. 
What  matters  is  your  safety  ;  oh,  do  not  mistake 
me — do  you  think  I  shall  esteem  you  less  and 


MOSCOW  183 

him  more  because  he  is  a  little  cleverer  than  you 
with  tricks  of  the  sword  ?  "  Vera  laughed  quite 
merrily.  "  Oh,  what  children  men  are  to  think 
so  much  of  so  small  a  matter,"  she  continued ; 
"  you  are  not  disgraced  in  my  eyes,  Sasha ;  I 
thank  God  for  two  things,  the  first  that  it  oc- 
curred to  Paul  to  vent  his  spite  upon  both  of  us 
by  pricking  you  with  his  sword  instead  of  allow- 
ing you  to  be  shot  down  by  the  guard,  and  the 
second  that  his  conceit  was  so  great  that  he 
preferred  sending  you  back  with  a  bombastic 
message  to  giving  you  a  fatal  wound." 

"Tell  me  truly,  Vera,  is  this  Paul  he  to 
whom  you  gave  your  heart  in  Paris  ;  for  God's 
sake,  tell  me  truly  ? " 

"I  do  not  think  I  gave  my  heart  in  Paris. 
Perhaps  I  fancied  that  my  heart  was  in  danger 
where  no  danger  existed.  He  is  the  man  who 
caused  me  thus  to  search  my  feelings — well,  I 
have  searched  them." 

"  And  the  result? "  Sasha  murmured. 

"  The  result  is  that  I  can  thank  God  I  do 
not  love  a  Frenchman,  one  of  Russia's  enemies." 

"Then  I  thank  God  also  humbly  and  sin- 
cerely. You  know  well  what  I  would  have  of 
you,  if  I  could.  You  treat  me  now  as  a  brother, 
you  are  kindness  itself,  but  I  hunger  for  more  ; 


1 84  MOSCOW 

I  will  wait  more  patiently  now  that  I  am  as- 
sured that  at  any  rate  your  heart  is  free." 

"  When  I  love  I  promise  that  I  will  love  a 
Russian,"  Vera  smiled.  "  Promise  me  in  return 
that  you  will  not  run  foolish  risks  in  order  to 
prove  to  me  how  cleverly  your  hand  and  eye 
work  together  in  sword  play.  There  are 
greater  issues  at  stake  for  us  Russians  than 
the  nursing  of  private  petty  vanities.  The 
noblest  of  men  may  yet  be  the  clumsiest. 
Russia  requires  all  the  manhood  of  all  her 
sons,  my  friend.  Come,  promise  me !  " 

"  Well,  I  promise  then,"  muttered  Sasha, 
"though  your  words  are  not  flattering  to  my 
vanity.  I  wish  you  could  have  added,"  he 
sighed,  "that  you  wanted  me  alive  for  your 
own  sake,  as  well  as  for  Russia's." 

"Oh,  I  will  say  that,"  she  laughed.  "I 
certainly  want  you  alive.  Sasha,"  she  added  sud- 
denly, her  eyes  softening  wonderfully,  though  her 
voice  was  full  of  laughter,  "  I  see  that  you  are 
still  far  from  having  eschewed  the  follies  ofcadet- 
dom  ;  you  are  as  vain  as  ever,  mon  ami,  and 
as  blind  to — to  the  true  proportion  of  things." 

Sasha  Maximof  looked  puzzled  and  shook 
his  head,  failing  to  understand  the  meaning  of 
Vera's  last  utterance. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

DURING  these  first  few  days  of  the  French  oc- 
cupation Moscow  became  a  very  pandemonium 
of  pillage  and  violence,  of  smoke  and  fire,  of 
orgies  and  of  cruelties  too  horrible  to  relate. 
The  churches  and  cathedrals  were  robbed 
and  desecrated  without  distinction.  Marshal 
Davoust  could  find  no  more  appropriate  place 
for  his  bedroom  than  the  sanctuary,  the  very 
"Holy  of  Holies"  of  a  cathedral,  wherein  he 
slept,  guarded  by  a  sentinel  at  each  of  the  two 
royal  doors  which  gave  entrance  to  this  hal- 
lowed spot.  Horses  were  stabled  in  the  churches. 
Furnaces  and  melting-pots  were  to  be  seen  out- 
side each  of  Moscow's  most  venerable  cathedrals, 
where  gold  and  silver  vessels,  the  frames  of  costly 
ikons,  ornaments,  even  the  golden  decorations 
of  the  vestments  of  the  priests  were  melted  down 
and  fought  over. 

Soldiers  on  "  leave  of  absence,"  which  meant 
that  they  had  received,  each  in  turn,  licence  for 
a  season  of  plundering,  spent  every  hour  of 

185 


1 86  MOSCOW 

their  leisure  in  pillage  and  violence,  declaring 
— if  interfered  with — that  the  Emperor  had 
promised  them  the  treasures  of  Moscow. 

The  fires,  meanwhile,  raged  on  almost  un- 
noticed. They  broke  out  first  close  to  the 
Foundling  Hospital,  then  the  Gostinnoy  Dvor, 
the  great  market  of  the  city,  blazed  up,  and 
smoke  rose  almost  simultaneously  from  a  dozen 
different  quarters.  After  two  or  three  days  a 
marshal  was  told  off  by  Napoleon  to  quell  the 
conflagration,  but  it  was  a  week  before  Mor- 
tier's  efforts  produced  any  effect  upon  the  flames. 
The  Kitai  Gorod  was  a  sea  of  flames  and  the 
Kremlin  itself  was  in  danger ;  the  Church  of  the 
Trinity  caught  fire  and  had  to  be  destroyed  by 
Napoleon's  guard.  The  Emperor  fled  to  the 
Palace  of  Petrofsky,  accompanied  by  his  staff, 
by  the  King  of  Naples  and  several  marshals. 

Napoleon  at  this  time  grew  nervous  and  irri- 
table. He  sent  repeated  messages  to  the  Tsar 
Alexander  professing  the  warmest  personal 
regard  and  his  willingness  to  conclude  terms  of 
peace,  but  the  Tsar  treated  his  overtures  with 
silent  contempt. 

Many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Moscow,  those 
who  had  remained  behind  at  the  general  exodus, 
preferring  to  live  in  the  suburban  quarters  or  to 


MOSCOW  187 

hide  in  cellars  rather  than  abandon  altogether 
their  beloved  city,  by  this  time  scarcely  dared 
venture  into  the  streets  ;  for  Napoleon's  soldiers, 
having  finished  looting  the  houses  and  churches, 
had  now  turned  their  particular  attention  to  rob- 
bery of  the  person.  Men  and  women  were  held 
up  and  robbed  in  the  open  streets. 

Vera,  engaged  from  time  to  time  upon  the 
work  of  the  patriotic  league  to  which  she  be- 
longed, was  obliged  to  walk  hither  and  thither, 
even  in  the  streets  most  infested  by  French 
soldiers.  For  the  first  few  days  she  had  not 
been  actually  interfered  with,  a  circumstance  for 
which  she  was  indebted  partly  to  her  aristocratic 
appearance  and  partly  to  her  knowledge  of  the 
French  language. 

But  there  arrived  a  day  when  her  immunity 
came  to  an  end.  During  the  morning  her 
cousin  D'Estreville  called.  He  had  overtaken 
his  regiment  at  the  gates  of  Moscow,  following 
the  main  army  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  ride. 
He  was  looking  pale  and  worn,  a  shadow  of  his 
former  self,  and  having  discovered  Vera's  address 
he  lost  no  time  in  paying  her  a  visit,  though 
he  scarcely  expected  to  find  her  in  Moscow. 

Vera  was  overjoyed  to  see  him  alive. 

"  I  thought  I  saw  your  regiment  march  in,  and 


1 88  MOSCOW 

even  fancied  that  I   made  you  out  among  the 
rest,"  she  said,  "  though  you  were  scarcely  re- 
cognisable.    You  have  been  wounded  or  ill— 
which  ? " 

Henri  gave  an  account  of  his  mishap.  Then 
he  asked  why  Vera  had  remained  in  the  de- 
serted city — a  question  to  which  she  gave  an 
evasive  answer.  Lastly  he  inquired  whether 
she  had  seen  Paul.  Vera  blushed. 

"  Oblige  me,  dear  Henri,  by  mentioning  his 
name  no  more,"  she  said ;  "I  have  seen  him, 
yes.  He  came  to  our  portion  of  the  town  in 
search  of  some  lady  friends  attached  to  the 
French  theatrical  company  which  existed  here 
before  the  occupation.  I — I  think  I  was  mis- 
taken in  Monsieur  de  Tourelle,  Henri.  At  any 
rate  I  do  not  wish  to  see  him  or  to  speak  to  him 
again." 

Henri  whistled.  "  If  your  dislike  to  him  is 
patriotic,"  he  laughed,  "  I  suppose  I  too  am  not 
a  welcome  visitor." 

"Well,  to  be  truthful,  now  I  am  assured  of 
your  safety,  I  would  rather  forget  we  are  cousins 
until  after  the  war,"  said  Vera.  Henri  laughed. 

"  You  don't  know  what  the  occupation  of 
Moscow  means  for  us  Russians,"  she  added. 
"  Your  people  have  defiled  and  robbed  our 


MOSCOW  189 

holy  places,  destroyed  our  homes,  ruined  and 
wasted  our  country  at  the  whim  of  a  vile  man 
who  will  reap  no  benefit  from  his  wickedness. 
What  does  he  propose  to  do,  think  you,  mon 
ami?  Because  Moscow  is  occupied,  do  you 
suppose  we  Russians  are  done  with  ? " 

"It  is  only  the  beginning  of  our  advance,  ma 
cousine ;  do  not  flatter  yourself  with  false  hopes. 
If  Moscow  grows  too  hot  for  us,  we  shall  march 
to  St.  Petersburg  and  Napoleon  shall  be  crowned 
Tsar  at  St.  Isaac's." 

"  We  shall  not  agree,  my  friend.  For  the 
rest,  do  not  visit  me  here — it  is  better  not.  If 
we  were  to  argue  constantly,  I  should  soon  for- 
get that  the  same  blood  flows  in  our  veins  and 
I  should  learn  to  hate  you  as  at  this  moment  I 
hate  every  Frenchman." 

Nevertheless  the  cousins  parted  friends,  though 
Henri  quite  agreed  that  at  present  it  would  be 
better  if  they  did  not  meet. 

Vera  walked  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city  one 
afternoon,  glad  of  the  calls  of  some  duty  which 
justified  the  risk  of  venturing  into  the  fresh  air, 
when  she  observed  a  notable  episode.  An  old 
Russian  priest,  one  of  the  staff  of  the  Cathedral 
of  the  Assumption,  driven  out  of  his  senses  by 
the  persecutions  and  desecrations  which  he  had 


190  MOSCOW 

witnessed  in  his  beloved  city  and  church, 
marched  alone  through  the  streets  carrying  a 
large  ikon  in  his  arms  and  shouting  aloud  de- 
nunciations and  menaces  against  the  disturbers 
of  the  peace  of  Holy  Russia. 

"Thy  Holy  Temple,"  he  raved,  "have  they 
defiled  and  made  Jerusalem  a  heap  of  stones- 
slay  them,  oh  Lord,  and  scatter  them !  Shall 
Thy  enemies  triumph  for  ever  ?  "  And  again  : — 

"The  time  shall  come  when  every  man  who 
slayeth  one  of  them  shall  believe  that  he  doeth 
God  service ! " 

Up  the  road  came  half  a  dozen  rowdy  French 
soldiers  "  on  leave  of  absence ".  They  stood 
and  listened  to  the  priest's  raving  for  a  moment, 
understanding  nothing ;  then  one  knocked  the 
old  man  down  with  a  buffet,  rolling  him  in  the 
mud,  while  the  ikon  fell  to  the  ground.  In- 
stantly there  was  a  rowdy  battle  for  possession 
of  the  image,  which  was  quickly  pulled  in  pieces, 
each  piece  being  carefully  scrutinised  forprecious 
stones  or  metal. 

"  Bah !  we  might  have  spared  ourselves  the 
trouble — it  is  brass — the  whole  thing  is  not  worth 
fifty  centimes ! "  exclaimed  one  man,  looking 
angrily  at  the  old  priest,  sitting  dazed  and  bruised 
in  the  mud,  mumbling  and  holding  his  head. 


MOSCOW  191 

"  How  dare  you  carry  a  brass  ikon,  deluding 
honest  persons  into  the  belief  that  it  is  a  thing 
of  value  ? "  asked  another  soldier  ;  he  kicked  the 
old  man  viciously ;  the  priest  gave  a  howl  of 
pain.  This  was  more  than  Vera  could  stand. 

"  Miserables  ! "  she  exclaimed,  "are  you  not 
ashamed  of  attacking  an  old  man,  and  a  priest  ? 
A  curse  will  fall  upon  such  as  you." 

"  Let  it  fall,  ma  mie ;  see,  mes  enfants,"  the 
fellow  continued,  "  what  I  have  found — a  French 
woman  and  a  pretty  one — are  you  one  of  the 
French  actresses,  chdrie  ?  "  The  soldier  leered 
and  tried  to  put  his  arm  about  her  waist,  Vera 
angrily  pushed  him  away. 

"  Come,  come,  come ! "  said  the  fellow,  who 
was  half  drunk,  "you  must  not  look  crossly 
upon  your  compatriots — you  and  I  are  both 
good  French  people,  let  us  be  happy  together." 

"  Thank  God  I  am  a  Russian,"  said  Vera. 
"If  you  touch  me  again  you  shall  find  that  I  can 
sting ! " 

"  A  Russian  ?  Oho  !  Listen,  mes  en/ants,  she 
is  a  Russian !  Then,  ckdrie,  you  shall  give  us 
each  six  roubles  and  six  kisses — see,  I  have 
spoken,  it  is  an  edict !  Is  it  not  so,  my  friends  ?  " 

The  men  crowded  round  Vera,  whose  heart 
sank  a  little.  She  placed  her  back  against  the 


I92  MOSCOW 

wall  of  the  house,  however,  close  to  which  she 
stood,  and  felt  within  the  folds  of  her  mantle  for 
the  pistol,  without  which  and  a  sharp  dagger 
she  never  left  the  house  at  this  time. 

"  See,"  she  cried,  "  I  said  that  I  could  sting— 
who  will  offer  to  touch  me  now.  I  swear  that  I 
will  shoot  if " 

One  of  the  men  by  a  sudden  movement 
knocked  the  pistol  from  her  hand ;  a  second 
later  he  had  his  arms  about  her  neck  and  was 
in  the  act  of  drawing  the  girl  close  to  him. 
Suddenly  he  recoiled  with  an  oath,  pale,  scowl- 
ing, grabbing  at  the  upper  part  of  his  left  arm. 
Vera  laughed. 

"  I  told  you  I  should  sting ! "  she  said. 

"  The  little  devil  has  stabbed  me !  "  exclaimed 
the  man,  whose  sleeve  was  covered  with  blood 
where  it  had  touched  his  shoulder.  "  You  little 
serpent,  for  this "  The  laughter  of  his  com- 
rades drowned  the  rest  of  his  threat. 

Two  French  sub-officers  now  suddenly  ap- 
peared upon  the  scene,  one  ot  them  knocked 
the  threatener  aside. 

"Stop  it,  canaille!"  he  cried.  "Have  you 
not  read  the  placards  of  the  Emperor?  The 
inhabitants  are  no  longer  to  be  robbed  and 
ravaged ;  they  have  suffered  enough." 


MOSCOW  193 

"  Placards  or  no  placards,  Emperor  or  no 
Emperor,  and  corporals  or  no  corporals," 
shouted  the  principal  offender,  "  I  shall  not  bear 
this  affront,  my  friend  !  Brothers,  we  will  have 
our  roubles  and  our  kisses.  Hold  this  little  fool 
while  I  exact  my  own  share ;  then  each  shall 
have  his  turn !  " 

But  the  two  sergeants  placed  themselves  be- 
tween Vera  and  her  persecutors.  One  picked 
up  her  pistol  and  handed  it  to  her.  The  young 
Frenchman  who  had  first  spoken  drew  his  sword. 

" Mes  enfants,"  he  said,  "I  recommend  you 
to  disappear.  Three  of  you  I  know  by  name — 
let  them  go  first — R£net,  Judic  and  Meyer  ;  go, 
my  friends,  if  you  are  wise.  These  others  I 
shall  deal  with." 

The  three  men  named  quickly  disappeared. 
It  was  true  that  the  Emperor  had — none  too 
soon — placarded  the  city  with  stringent  orders 
that  the  reign  of  bloodshed  and  violence  should 
cease,  under  severe  penalties.  The  other  three 
men,  after  preserving  their  threatening  attitude 
for  a  few  moments,  began  to  look  over  their 
shoulders  in  the  direction  taken  by  their  retreat- 
ing comrades ;  presently  with  a  muttered  curse 
or  two  and  many  scowls  they  turned  and  fol- 
lowed them. 

13 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

VERA  now  had  leisure  to  examine  her  protectors 
more  closely ;  one  was  a  dapper  little  corporal 
who  made  eyes  at  her  as  she  looked  at  him. 
She  quickly  withdrew  her  gaze  and  fixed  it  upon 
the  other,  a  handsome,  dark-eyed  and  eyelashed 
sergeant  of  a  line  regiment.  This  man  had  been 
the  spokesman.  Vera  started  slightly  as  she 
looked  at  him. 

" Mon  Dteu!"  she  exclaimed,  "what  an  ex- 
traordinary likeness  !  I  beg  a  thousand  pardons, 
Monsieur ;  it  is  very  rude  of  me ;  my  first  ex- 
pression should  have  been  one  of  grateful  thanks. 
You  have  preserved  me,  Monsieur,  from  per- 
secution, I  am  indeed  grateful." 

The  young  sergeant  bowed. 

"  Mademoiselle  does  us  too  much  honour," 
he  replied.  "  Rochefort,  man  cher,  if  you  will 
excuse  me,  I  will  see  this  lady  to  her  home,  it  is 
not  right  that  you  should  walk  alone  in  the  city, 
Mademoiselle,  at  present."  The  little  corporal 

made  a  grimace. 

194 


MOSCOW  195 

"  Rascal ! "  he  whispered,  "  you  always  come 
in  for  the  good  things ! "  He  took  his  departure, 
however,  after  bestowing  upon  Vera  his  most 
fascinating  smile  together  with  a  low  bow  and  a 
ferocious  wink  of  the  left  eye. 

Vera  gazed  at  her  companion,  examining  him 
from  head  to  foot  as  he  watched  his  comrade 
depart.  The  sergeant  turned  when  he  had  seen 
the  other  safely  to  the  end  of  the  street. 

"  I  see,"  said  Vera,  "  that  it  is  to  an  old  ac- 
quaintance that  I  am  indebted  for  this  great 
service.  I  thank  you  heartily.  But  is  the 
French  Emperor  so  badly  off  for  men  to  march 
against  our  poor  Russia  that  he  must  needs  enrol 
women  as  soldiers,  Mademoiselle  Louise  ?  " 

The  sergeant  blushed  scarlet.  "  For  God's 
sake  be  careful  of  your  words,  Mademoiselle," 
he  said.  "  Of  course  it  is  unknown  that  I  am  I. 
You  are  the  first  who  has  guessed  it.  I  entreat 
you  to  keep  my  secret." 

"That  of  course.  In  Heaven's  name,  why 
have  you  done  it  ?  May  I  know  this  ?  " 

"It  is  easily  told,  Mademoiselle,  to  you,  who 
I  do  not  doubt  will  appreciate  my  motives  and 
forgive  me."  Louise  narrated  to  her  companion 
the  story  of  the  conscription,  of  young  Havet's 
trouble  and  her  sister  Marie's ;  "  therefore  I 

13  * 


196  MOSCOW 

became  his  substitute,"  she  ended,  "  et  voild 
tout ! " 

"  Is  it  really  all,  Mademoiselle  Louise  ?  "  said 
Vera.  "  I  confess  that  I  fancied  there  might  be 
another  motive  for  your  conduct."  Louise  walked 
silently  for  a  little  while. 

"  It  is  true  that  I  love  him,"  she  murmured 
at  length ;  "  yes,  Mademoiselle,  with  all  my 
heart  of  hearts.  I  could  not  bear  to  be  so  far 
from  him." 

Vera  laughed.  "  Mon  Dieu,  Louise,  you  are 
a  wonderful  person !  It  is  sad,  however,  that 
you  should  have  staked  your  happiness  upon  my 
cousin,  who  is " 

"  Not  dead,  Mademoiselle — for  God's  sake 
dare  not  to  tell  me  he  is  dead  ? " 

"  Dead  ?  Oh  no,  not  that,  I  saw  him  but 
yesterday  and  spoke  to  him." 

"  You  did,  Mademoiselle — here,  in  Moscow  ? 
Oh,  thank  God — thank  God!  Mademoiselle,  I 
have  been  in  terror  and  tribulation  about  him  ; 
I  left  him  near  Smolensk,  badly  wounded  in  the 
shoulder,  I  was  driven  from  him  to  join  the 
colours  and  knew  not  whether  he  lived  or  died." 

"  Yes,  he  lives  and  is  well,  though  he  looks 
like  a  dead  man  or  near  it.  So  he  knows  you 
are  with  the  army.  Beware,  Louise,  you  are 


MOSCOW  197 

playing  a  dangerous  game.  My  cousin  will  not 
respect  one  who  thus  follows  him  and  avows  her 
love.  Moreover,  your  conduct " 

"  Mademoiselle — pardon — he  does  not  know 
it.  Thank  God,  I  am  more  modest  than  you 
suppose  !  Also  he  has  avowed  his  love  for  me — 
he  did  so  before  leaving  Paris ;  still,  I  have  not 
revealed  myself,  lest  he  should  disapprove  of  my 
action.  I  am  not — not  the  kind  that  Made- 
moiselle supposes." 

"  Forgive  me,  Louise ;  I  meant  my  warning 
to  be  very  friendly.  I  am  rejoiced  to  hear  what 
you  have  said.  As  to  his  vows  of  love,  how- 
ever, do  not  trust  him  too  much.  I  know  my 
cousin  so  well.  He  has  loved  many  times." 

"  Mademoiselle,  I  also  know  this,  and  more 
besides.  At  Smolensk,  as  he  lay  tossing  in 
fever,  a  wonderful  thing  happened ;  not  know- 
ing that  I  was  I,  the  Baron  narrated  to  me  many 
of  his  past  love  affairs,  declaring  at  the  last  that 
he  remembered  only  one  of  those  for  whom  he 
had  felt  affection,  and  that  one  was,  said  he,  the 
daughter  of  Pierre  Dupre,  maitre  cCarmes; 
imagine,  Mademoiselle,  my  happiness  to  hear 
this  from  him,  and  to  receive  a  message  from 
his  lips  to  be  carried  to  this  Louise  Dupre  in 
case  of  his  death." 


198  MOSCOW 

Louise  was  flushed  and  her  eyes  were  bright 
with  love-light.  Vera  looked  at  her  companion 
and  laughed  merrily. 

"  I  certainly  think  it  the  most  promising  of 
Henri's  love  affairs  that  I  have  yet  heard  of," 
she  said  ;  "  if  I  see  Henri  again 

"  Oh,  Mademoiselle,  for  Heaven's  sake  keep 
my  secret ;  what  would  he  think — he  might  say 
angry  words — he  might " 

"No,  no,  your  secret  is  safe ;  I  was  going  to 
say — I  will  ask  him  to  tell  me  of  his  sickness  at 
Smolensk ;  perhaps  he  will  confide  to  me  the 
tale  you  have  just  told  me ;  that  would  prove 
that  he  did  not  suspect  you  to  be  yourself." 

'•'  Oh,  Mademoiselle,  I  am  sure  he  did  not,  or 
he  would  not  have  told  me  all  that  he  did  of — 
of  other  matters,"  Louise  blushed  ;  and  Vera 
laughed  and  said  that  perhaps  that  was  so. 

"At  any  rate  I  should  keep  your  secret,"  she 
added,  "even  if  I  saw  my  cousin  again,  which 
is  unlikely.  I  cannot  associate,  you  see,  with 
Russia's  enemies,  even  though  they  be  personal 
friends  or  near  relations.  There  are  those  who 
would  blame  me  much  for  walking  with  yourself 
in  this  way,  if  they  were  to  see  us  together. 
We  must  not  meet  again  in  Moscow.  I  see  you 
have  had  promotion ;  you  wear  a  sergeant's 


MOSCOW  199 

stripes  ;  doubtless  for  some  service  done  to  your 
Emperor  at  the  expense  of  my  poor  country." 

"  At  Borodino ;  the  service  was  small  enough 
and  not  worth  narrating.  I  have  learnt,  Made- 
moiselle, that  war  is  detestable,  and  the  taking 
of  life  a  most  terrible  thing ;  I  shall  shed  no 
more  blood,  if  I  can  help  it." 

"  This  is  the  most  unjust  and  infernal  of  wars," 
said  Vera ;  "all  wars  are  abominable,  but  this 
is  the  worst  and  wickedest.  Farewell,  Louise, 
and  thank  you  for  your  timely  service ;  this  is 
my  street  and  that  is  my  house.  I  hope  that 
some  day,  if  happier  times  should  come,  we  may 
perhaps  be  cousins." 

"  Oh,  Mademoiselle,  may  that  day  dawn  in- 
deed— and  soon ! "  Louise  raised  Vera's  hand 
to  her  lips  and  departed  with  a  salute. 

Unfortunately  Sasha  Maximof,  looking  out 
from  a  window  for  Vera's  return,  saw  this  little 
demonstration,  and  the  sight  depressed  and 
angered  him. 

"  I  see,"  he  said,  as  Vera  entered,  "  that  you 
have  discovered  another  acquaintance  among 
the  French,  and,  as  it  seems,  another  admirer." 

"  Ah,  in  this  case  the  admiration  is  truly 
mutual,"  Vera  replied  gravely,  though  with  a 
twinkle  in  her  eye.  "  Do  you  know,  Sasha, 


200  MOSCOW 

mon  ami,  that  though,  speaking  generally,  I 
hate  all  French  soldiers,  at  this  time,  I  am  so 
greatly  indebted  to  this  one  and  love  him  so 
well " 

"Love  him?"  Sasha  echoed  miserably.  "Oh! 
then  this  is  the  one." 

"  Yes,  this  is  the  one  ;  our  friendship  is  great, 
but  perhaps  one  day  it  will  be  greater ;  he  has 

this  day  avowed  to  me "  Vera  paused. 

Sasha  continued  her  sentence — "  His  passion, 
I  suppose.  You  have  not  accepted  him,  Vera 
— a  Frenchman  ?  Did  you  not  tell  me  you 
would  only  marry  a  Russian  ?  " 

"  Did  I  ?  I  had  forgotten.  Well,  we  shall 
see.  What  was  I  saying? — Oh,  this  dear, 
adorable  soldier.  He  has  avowed  to  me,  mon 
ami,  that  he  hopes  one  day  to  become  a  near 
relation." 

"Vera!"  gasped  Sasha,  "are  you  mocking 
me?" 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  am  confiding  to  you  a 
great  secret  which  I  forbid  you  to  disclose  to 
any  living  soul.  This  dear  Frenchman,  who 
has  this  day  done  me  a  great  service  of  which 
I  will  tell  you  presently  and  for  which  I  should 
like  to  show  my  gratitude  in  a  fervent  kiss " 

"  Vera !  "  Sasha  gasped 


MOSCOW  201 

"  Do  not  interrupt  me,  mon  ami;  this  dear 
Frenchman  is,  in  fact,  not  a  Frenchman  nor  a 
Russian  ;  he  is  not,  indeed,  a  man  of  any  nation- 
ality whatever — but  a  woman  masquerading  as 
a  man,  and  all  for  love  of  my  cousin  Henri 
d'Estreville.  Think  of  it!" 

Vera  exploded  in  a  fit  of  merry  laughter,  to 
which  the  expression  in  Sasha's  face  soon  added 
an  extra  note  of  mirth.  The  laughing  did  her 
good,  for  indeed  there  had  been  little  of  late  to 
promote  mirth  in  this  unhappy  city  of  Moscow. 

Afterwards  there  were  explanations  and 
apologies,  and  if  Sasha  Maximof  contrived  to 
gather  another  grain  of  encouragement  for  his 
hopes,  this  was  not  more,  perhaps,  than  was 
intended. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

DESTINY  soon  made  it  impossible  that  Vera 
Demidof  should  meet  again  either  her  cousin 
D'Estreville  or  Louise  Dupre,  for  both  presently 
left  Moscow  with  their  regiments  in  order  to 
engage  the  armies  of  Kootoozof  without  the 
city  walls,  for  the  doings  of  the  Russian  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  rendered  Napoleon  anxious 
and  disquieted. 

Moscow  was  becoming  uninhabitable,  for 
food  was  scarce  and  the  Russian  forces  were 
so  strategically  disposed  as  to  cut  off  the  city 
from  communication  with  the  grain-  and  meat- 
producing  provinces.  Moreover,  though  the 
weather  was  still  moderately  warm,  the  frost 
would  begin  in  a  month  or  so,  and  under 
wintry  conditions  life  in  this  latitude  would 
become  unpleasant  if  not  impossible. 

Napoleon's  state  of  mind  at  this  time,  as 
evidenced  by  his  appearance  and  conduct,  has 
been  described  by  a  Russian  eye-witness  as 
unnerved  and  anxious.  He  walked  with  a 


MOSCOW  203 

quick,  uneven  treacl,  having  abandoned  his  usual 
calm  and  regular  movements.  He  looked  con- 
stantly about  him,  fidgetted  continually,  frowned, 
tweaked  his  nose  and  stood  to  think,  dragged 
his  gloves  on  and  off  again,  or  took  one  out  of  his 
pocket  and  rolled  it  into  a  ball  and,  still  in  deep 
thought,  put  it  into  the  other  pocket,  repeating 
the  process  many  times.  Meanwhile  the  generals 
standing  behind  him  stood  like  statues,  not  daring 
to  move.  He  grew  irritable  and  performed 
many  acts  of  needless  and  wanton  cruelty.  He 
issued  numerous  "  bulletins  "  to  his  army,  full  of 
elusive  promises  and  rose-coloured  announce- 
ments of  his  "intentions".  He  made  foolish 
speeches  upon  the  subject  of  Peter  the  Great, 
courted  the  Tartars,  but  failed  to  convince  them, 
issued  proclamations  to  the  Russian  people, 
pointing  out  the  advantages  of  rebellion,  to  all 
of  which  the  sturdy  Russians  remained  blind, 
and  up  to  the  last  moment  concealed  his  inten- 
tion of  abandoning  Moscow. 

This  abandonment  of  the  old  city  took  place, 
as  all  the  world  knows,  in  October,  and  was 
preceded  by  an  abortive  attempt  to  blow  up 
the  Kremlin.  The  attempt  was  entrusted  to 
Marshal  Mortier,  who — whether  designedly  or 
by  miscalculation — entirely  failed  in  his  object, 


204  MOSCOW 

though  he  used  nearly  one  hundred  tons  of 
explosives  in  mining  the  palaces  and  cathedrals 
and  outer  walls  of  the  historic  fortress. 

The  French  soldiers  indulged  in  a  final  and 
universal  campaign  of  outrage  and  robbery  just 
before  quitting  the  city,  and  this  time  Vera  was 
obliged  to  abandon  her  house,  which  was  pillaged 
like  the  rest,  and  to  fly  for  her  life.  Sasha 
Maximof  had  before  this  been  recalled  to  his 
duties  with  his  regiment,  and  had  left  Vera  with 
a  sore  heart,  having  failed  to  persuade  her  to 
leave  Moscow  and  go  to  St.  Petersburg  where 
she  would  find  most  of  her  friends  and  relatives. 

"  I  shall  wait  to  see  the  end  of  the  drama," 
Vera  said,  "unless  I  am  menaced  with  serious 
danger.  So  far,  I  have  run  but  little  risk." 

The  behaviour  of  the  French  troops  at  the 
end  of  their  month  in  Moscow  seems  to  have 
been  almost  more  ruffianly  than  at  the  be- 
ginning. Houses  and  property  of  all  sorts  were 
ruthlessly  destroyed,  both  within  the  city  and 
in  the  suburbs.  Occasionally  they  would  come 
upon  notices  nailed  to  the  outer  gates  of  some 
boyar's  residence,  setting  forth  that  rather  than 
abandon  his  property  to  be  desecrated  by  French 
hands  the  owner  had  himself  destroyed  every 
atom  that  he  had  been  unable  to  remove.  Here 


MOSCOW  205 

is  an  example  :  a  letter  affixed  to  the  gate  of  his 
palace  by  no  less  a  person  than  Rostopchin, 
Governor  of  Moscow,  who  thus  addressed  those 
who  approached  his  home,  intent  upon  looting 
and  destruction  : — 

"  For  eight  years  I  found  my  pleasure  in 
embellishing  this  country  retreat.  I  lived  here 
in  perfect  happiness,  within  the  bosom  of  my 
family  ;  and  those  around  me  largely  partook 
of  my  felicity.  But  you  approach  and  lo !  the 
peasantry  of  this  domain,  to  the  number  of 
1,720  human  beings,  have  fled  far  away.  As 
for  my  house,  it  is  burnt  to  the  ground  !  We 
abandon  all,  we  consume  all,  that  neither  our- 
selves nor  our  habitations  may  be  polluted  by 
your  presence. 

"Frenchmen,  I  left  at  the  mercy  of  your 
avarice  two  of  my  houses  in  Moscow  full  of 
furniture  and  valuables  to  the  amount  of  half 
a  million  of  roubles.  Here,  you  will  find 
nothing  but  ashes. 

"  (Signed)     FEDOR,  COUNT  ROSTOPCHIN." 

No  sooner  did  the  news  reach  the  Russian 
Commander-in-Chief,  old  Kootoozof,  that  Mos- 
cow had  been  abandoned  by  the  invaders,  than 
he  issued  the  following  address  to  his  army  and 
the  Empire  generally  : — 


206  MOSCOW 

"ORDER  ISSUED  TO  THE  ARMIES,  3151  OCTOBER. 

"  The  following  Declaration  is  given  for  the 
Instruction  of  all  the  Troops  under  my  Com- 
mand : — 

"  At  the  moment  in  which  the  enemy  entered 
Moscow  he  beheld  the  destruction  of  those  pre- 
posterous hopes  by  which  he  had  been  flattered  ; 
he  expected  to  find  there  Plenty  and  Peace, 
and  on  the  contrary  he  saw  himself  devoid  of 
every  necessary  of  life.  Harassed  by  the  fatigue 
of  continued  marches  ;  exhausted  for  want  of  pro- 
visions ;  wearied  and  tormented  by  ever  active 
soldiers  who  intercept  his  slender  reinforcements  ; 
losing,  without  the  honour  of  battle,  thousands 
of  his  troops,  cut  off  by  our  provincial  detach- 
ments, he  found  no  prospect  before  him  but  the 
vengeance  of  an  armed  nation,  threatening  an- 
nihilation to  the  whole  of  his  army.  In  every 
Russian  he  beheld  a  hero,  equally  disdainful  and 
abhorrent  of  his  deceitful  promises ;  in  every 
state  of  the  empire  he  met  an  additional  and  in- 
surmountable rampart  opposed  to  his  strongest 
efforts.  After  sustaining  incalculable  losses  by 
the  attacks  of  our  brave  troops,  he  recognised 
at  last  the  madness  of  his  expectations,  that  the 
foundations  of  the  empire  would  be  shaken  by 
his  occupation  of  Moscow.  Nothing  remained 


MOSCOW  207 

for  him  but  a  precipitate  flight ;  the  resolution 
was  no  sooner  taken  than  it  was  executed ;  he 
has  departed,  abandoning  nearly  the  whole  of 
his  sick  to  the  mercy  of  an  outraged  people,  and 
leaving  Moscow  on  the  nth  of  this  month  com- 
pletely evacuated. 

"The  horrible  excesses  which  he  committed 
while  in  that  city  are  already  well  known,  and 
have  left  an  inexhaustible  sentiment  of  vengeance 
in  the  depths  of  every  Russian  heart ;  but  I 
have  to  add,  that  his  impotent  rage  exercised 
itself  in  the  savage  attempt  to  destroy  a  part  of 
the  Kremlin,  where,  however,  by  a  signal  in- 
terposition of  Divine  Providence,  the  sacred 
temples  and  cathedrals  have  been  saved. 

"  Let  us  then  hasten  to  pursue  this  impious 
enemy,  while  other  Russian  armies,  once  more 
occupying  Lithuania,  act  in  concert  with  us  for 
his  destruction !  Already  do  we  behold  him  in 
full  flight,  abandoning  his  baggage,  burning  his 
war  carriages,  and  reluctantly  separating  him- 
self from  those  treasures,  which  his  profane 
hands  had  torn  from  the  very  altars  of  God. 
Already  starvation  and  famine  threaten  Na- 
poleon with  disaster ;  behind  him  arise  the 
murmurs  of  his  troops  like  the  roar  of  threaten- 
ing waters.  While  these  appalling  sounds  at- 


208  MOSCOW 

tend  the  retreat  of  the  French,  in  the  ears 
of  the  Russians  resounds  the  voice  of  their 
magnanimous  monarch.  Listen,  soldiers  !  while 
he  thus  addresses  you  !  '  Extinguish  the  flames 
of  Moscow  in  the  blood  of  our  invaders ! ' 
Russians,  let  us  obey  this  solemn  command  ! 
Our  outraged  country,  appeased  by  this  just 
vengeance,  will  then  retire  satisfied  from  the 
field  of  war,  and  behind  the  line  of  her  exten- 
sive frontiers,  will  take  her  august  station  be- 
tween Peace  and  Glory! 

"  Russian  warriors !  God  is  our  Leader ! 
"(Signed)  MARSHAL  PRINCE  GOLENISHCHEFF 

KOOTOOZOF, 
*'  General-in-Chief  of  all  the  Armies." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

To  give  any  kind  of  description  of  the  horrors 
of  the  retreat  of  the  Grande  Armee  is  very  far 
from  the  intention  of  the  writer  of  this  history ; 
the  theme  is  both  unpleasant  and  threadbare. 
An  incident  or  two  will  suffice. 

Louise,  marching  with  her  regiment,  which 
formed  a  portion  of  Marshal  Ney's  command, 
walked  with  her  companions  into  an  ambush 
of  desperate  Cossacks,  who  rode  tumultuously 
into  the  midst  of  the  French  ranks  from  the 
shelter  of  a  belt  of  pine  forest,  freely  dealing 
death  and  wounds  before  they  were  driven 
back  by  their  spirited  opponents.  Louise  was 
knocked  down  by  a  small  Cossack  pony  and 
trodden  upon  by  more  than  one  of  its  com- 
panions, the  great  majority  of  which,  however, 
adroitly  avoided  stepping  upon  her ;  for  the 
little  Cossack  horse  hates  to  plant  his  foot 
upon  a  recumbent  human  form  and  displays 
marvellous  ingenuity  in  avoiding  so  sacrilegi- 
ous an  act. 

209  i4 


2io  MOSCOW 

Louise  lay  a  while  unconscious.  When  she 
recovered  her  senses  and  sat  up  her  com- 
panions had  already  moved  forward  and  were 
out  of  sight,  all  but  the  grim  lines  of  dead  men 
and  a  few  wounded  fellows  who  sat  or  lay  and 
conversed. 

"Sapristi!"  said  Louise,  "I  don't  think  I 
am  very  badly  hurt.  Can  you  stand  and 

walk,  any  of  you?      I   have  a  mind  to  move 

» 
on. 

Most  of  those  about  her  replied  that  they 
preferred  to  remain  and  chance  being  picked 
up  by  the  ambulances.  "  The  Marshal  himself 
is  still  behind,"  one  said  ;  "he  will  make  disposi- 
tions for  us." 

One  or  two  attempted  to  stand  and  move 
forward  with  Louise,  but  soon  found  that  the 
exertion  was  too  much  for  them.  Louise 
hastened  forward  alone.  Her  head  ached 
terribly  and  she  felt  pain  in  her  breast,  doubt- 
less the  result  of  being  trodden  upon  or  kicked 
by  a  passing  horse.  For  the  rest  she  was 
unwounded. 

For  a  mile  she  trudged  forward,  hoping  to 
catch  sight  of  the  regiment.  This  she  presently 
did,  but  hurrying  onward,  in  order  to  gain  ground 
upon  them,  she  suddenly  became  aware  that  her 


MOSCOW  211 

head  swam  ;  she  reeled,  went  on  a  few  paces  and 
sat  down. 

"  I  cannot,"  she  muttered  ;  "  I  am  fainting." 

There  was  a  deserted  village  close  at  hand, 
and  Louise  presently  contrived  to  struggle  on- 
ward as  far  as  the  nearest  hut,  which  she  entered. 
The  single  room  was  dirty  and  smoky,  the  air 
fcetid  and  horrible,  but  Louise  felt  that  she 
had  reached  paradise ;  she  was  cold  and  ill  and 
miserable ;  she  sank  upon  the  floor  with  her 
back  to  the  stove,  which  was  still  warm,  and 
prepared  to  sleep. 

"It  is  a  risk,  I  know,"  she  told  herself,  "  for 
the  peasants  may  return  at  any  moment,  but  I 
must  sleep  or  die.  Mercy  of  Heaven,  what  a 
pain  is  in  my  breast ! "  She  tore  open  her 
military  tunic  and  bared  her  bosom ;  it  was 
badly  bruised  but  not  actually  wounded.  "It  is 
nothing.  Mon  Dieu,  I  must  sleep  this  moment," 
Louise  murmured. 

Automatically  pulling  together  the  clothes 
which  she  had  torn  apart  the  weary  girl  fell  fast 
asleep  with  the  task  half  accomplished. 

Half  an  hour  later  a  dozen  peasants  and  some 
women  crept  back  to  the  village,  having  hidden 
themselves  at  the  approach  of  the  French  soldiers 
in  the  early  afternoon.  It  was  now  dusk.  A 

14* 


212  MOSCOW 

man  and  a  woman  entered  the  hut  in  which 
Louise  lay,  the  man  entering  first. 

He  started  back  upon  seeing  the  French 
soldier  asleep,  turning  towards  his  wife  with 
finger  to  lip. 

"  See,"  he  whispered,  "  what  lies  at  the  stove ! 
God  is  good  to  us — here  is  an  accursed  French- 
man delivered  into  our  hands !  He  has  a  rifle, 
a  sword,  a  uniform  and  possibly  money  in  his 
pocket ! "  The  fellow  fumbled  with  the  axe 
which  hung  at  his  girdle. 

"He  has  touched  none  of  our  things — the 
village  has  not  been  destroyed  or  pillaged  ;  spare 
the  poor  wretch,  God  will  requite  us,"  said  the 
woman,  who  gazed  not  without  admiration  at 
the  handsome  sleeping  face. 

"  Vzdor!  nonsense!  God  will,  on  the  contrary, 
punish  us  if  we  allow  to  escape  one  of  the  in- 
vaders of  Holy  Russia.  How  do  we  know  this 
fellow  has  not  helped  to  rob  a  church  or  to 
assault  a  woman,  or  to  desecrate  the  Holy  Place 
in  one  of  God's  own  houses  ?  He  comes  from 
Moscow,  where,  it  is  said,  many  such  detestable 
acts  were  done ! " 

"  Well,  have  your  will,  but  let  me  first  go  out 
of  sight,"  said  the  woman,  "for  I  am  afraid  of 
bloodshed." 


MOSCOW  213 

A  moment  later  the  moujik  rushed  out  of  the 
hut  to  his  wife,  who  stood  and  shivered  without 
in  the  cold  rain  which  was  half  snow. 

"Masha!"  he  cried,  "come  and  see;  it  is  a 
woman ! " 

"  Vzdor — it  cannot  be  ;  it  is  a  soldier  ;  you 
have  not  struck  ?  " 

"Not  yet — I  was  startled  and  held  my  hand ; 
there  is  some  mystery  here,  it  is  certainly  a 
woman." 

Masha  entered  the  hut  and  stole  softly  towards 
the  stove.  Louise  lay  breathing  peacefully,  her 
bosom,  half  bared,  rising  and  falling  in  the  meas- 
ured cadence  of  quiet  slumber. 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  woman.  You  shall  not  strike, 
Mishka  ;  there  is  certainly  mystery  here  ;  prob- 
ably it  is  some  poor  soul  who  strives  to  escape 
more  safely  by  donning  the  uniform  of  a  French 
soldier  of  which  she  has  robbed  a  dead  man  by 
the  way.  She  may  be  a  Russian  maiden  who 
has  sought  her  wounded  lover  upon  the  battle- 
field." ' 

"My  God,  it  may  be  as  you  say.  We  will 
let  her  lie.  Who  knows  she  may  be  rich  and 
will  reward  us.  Here  is  her  wallet,  I  will  see  if 
it  contains  money." 

The   wallet    contained    a   few   silver  pieces, 


214  MOSCOW 

which  Mishka  quickly  transferred  to  his  own 
pocket.  Then  he  added  wood  to  the  stove  and 
the  pair  ate  their  supper.  Louise  slept  peace- 
fully through  it.  Presently  both  man  and 
woman  lay  down  to  sleep. 

"  The  warning  bell  will  soon  wake  us  if  we 
must  clear  out  again,"  Mishka  had  said;  "or 
shall  one  of  us  watch  a  while  and  afterwards  the 
other?" 

"  God  forbid  !  "  exclaimed  Masha,  yawning  ; 
"last  night  there  was  no  sleep  and  the  night 
before  but  an  hour  or  two ;  I  am  tired  to 
death." 

Soon  after  midnight  Louise  awoke  at  the 
sound  of  running  feet  without.  She  started  up 
and  looked  about,  but  could  see  nothing  in  the 
darkness.  Some  one  came  to  the  door  and 
called  out  "  Dmitry  Vannkof — Mishka — awake 
and  come  to  the  door,  I  have  news  for  you  ". 

"Mem  Dt'eu!"  thought  Louise.  "Perhaps  I 
had  better  be  substitute  for  Dmitry  Vannkof, 
whoever  he  may  be,  and  attend  to  this  visitor ; 
it  is  dark  and  I  should  not  be  seen."  She  was 
about  to  rise  and  go  to  the  door,  when  the 
unseen  visitor  continued  to  shout  and  to  knock 
impatiently  with  some  hard  object,  probably  an 
axe ;  Louise  remembered  that  though  she  had 


MOSCOW  215 

picked  up  much  Russian  during  the  campaign, 
she  was  not  a  sufficiently  good  scholar  to  carry 
on  a  conversation  without  suspicion  and  dis- 
covery. She  therefore  lay  still. 

"  Mishka,  curse  you,  are  you  drunk  or  dead  ?  " 
roared  the  unseen  one. 

To  the  horror  and  surprise  of  Louise  some 
one  shuffled  close  beside  her  on  the  floor,  and 
a  woman's  voice  said  aloud  :  "  Mishka,  we  are 
called — awake — seckasse  idyom,  soodar  I  (we're 
just  coming,  sir !) ". 

Mishka  grunted  and  awoke  with  imprecations. 
"  What  is  it  ?  "  he  shouted  ;  "  are  we  never  to 
be  allowed  to  sleep  again  ?  Who's  there  ?  " 

"  It  is  I,  the  Starost ;  the  Hetman  of  the 
Mojaisk  Cossacks  is  in  the  village ;  we  are  to 
assemble  at  four  in  Toozofs  field,  bringing 
pitchforks  and  pickaxes.  There  is  to  be  an 
oblava  (battue).  It  is  said  that  the  best  general 
of  all  these  accursed  cut-throats  is  to  pass  at 
daybreak ;  he  is  sleeping  at  Bieloy  ;  he  is  to  be 
ambushed  with  all  his  guard ;  we  shall  not  have 
lived  in  vain  if  we  succeed  in  this ;  we  shall  be 
three  thousand  Cossacks  and  the  moujiks  of 
twelve  villages ;  be  ready  at  four  and  thank 
God  meanwhile  for  all  His  mercies." 

The  man  departed. 


2i6  MOSCOW 

"  By  the  Saints !  "  exclaimed  Mishka,  yawn- 
ing ;  "if  one  were  not  so  deadly  sleepy  that 
would  be  good  news.  See,  Masha,  what  we 
will  do.  I  will  sleep  until  four,  while  you  wake  ; 
when  I  have  departed  you  shall  sleep,  if  you 
will,  for  a  score  of  hours ! "  Masha  agreed  to 
this  arrangement,  and  within  a  minute  his  snor- 
ing was  sonorous  proof  that  her  goodman  had 
wasted  none  of  his  time. 

Louise  lay  and  listened  to  Masha's  yawning 
and  half-uttered  exclamations  of  weariness. 
Why  had  these  people  not  despatched  her  at 
sight?  Had  they  entered  in  the  dark  and 
failed  to  detect  her  ?  The  thing  was  a  mystery. 
She  felt  refreshed  and  her  head  scarcely 
ached ;  Bieloy  was,  she  remembered,  but  a 
league  away,  towards  Moscow.  So  far  as  she 
had  understood  the  Starost's  words,  it  was 
Marshal  Ney  and  his  guards  who  were  to  be 
ambushed.  "  I  shall  warn  them,  of  course,"  she 
reflected  ;  "  but  there  is  no  need  to  disturb  them 
too  soon,  for  Heaven  knows  every  man  of  us 
requires  all  the  sleep  he  can  get." 

Poor  Masha  gaped  and  muttered  for  an  hour  ; 
then  she  snored  at  intervals  in  concert  with  her 
husband  ;  then  she  fell  asleep  in  earnest  and  this 
time  very  soundly. 


MOSCOW  217 

"  Poor  soul !  "  thought  Louise  ;  "let  her  sleep  ! 
We  shall  have  one  pitchfork  the  less  to  contend 
with ! " 

Long  before  four  o'clock  she  was  afoot  and 
on  the  way  to  Bieloy,  having  left  the  worthy 
moujik  and  his  wife  snoring  in  peaceful  har- 
mony. 

She  reached  Bieloy,  a  large  village  or  selo, 
which  means  the  principal  of  a  group  of  villages, 
containing  the  church  and  perhaps  a  shop  or  two. 
The  place  was  occupied  by  French  soldiers.  A 
picket  was  placed  upon  the  road  half  a  mile  from 
Bieloy  and  the  soldiers  sat  and  talked  and  laughed 
over  their  fire.  They  challenged  Louise,  who 
showed  herself  in  the  firelight  and  explained  her 
errand. 

"That  is  well,"  laughed  a  man.  "  I  thought 
you  must  have  fallen  in  love  with  some  Russian 
wench  in  Moscow  and  were  returning  to  her 
embraces.  This  we  should  have  been  obliged 
to  prevent.  Love  is  good  when  time  and  op- 
portunity serve.  Think  of  the  women  of  Paris, 
mon  brave,  they  wait  for  you  and  for  me ! " 
Louise  laughed  also. 

"  You  will  allow  me  to  carry  my  news  to  the 
Marshal  ?  "  she  said. 

"Sapristi!     While  the  Marshal  sleeps ?     My 


2i8  MOSCOW 

friend,  cannot  this  danger  wait  until  we  are  all 
refreshed  and  fit  to  contend  with  it  ?  " 

"  It  will  wait  until  marching  time,"  said  Louise  ; 
"  especially  if  you  will  give  me  food  meanwhile." 

"  There  is  food  to-day,  and  you  shall  share  it ; 
also  there  is  a  drink  called  kvass,  which  I  think 
the  devil  invented  for  the  confusion  of  human 
stomachs  ;  you  shall  taste  it  and  suffer  pain,  as  I 
have  done  ;  what  matter  !  we  are  brought  into 
the  world  to  suffer  and  to  enjoy.  To-morrow 
we  may  starve ;  but  one  day  we  shall  reach 
Paris!" 

At  daybreak  the  village  was  astir.  Marshal 
Ney  himself  rode  out  in  the  midst  of  his  guards 
and  Louise  was  brought  before  him,  for  she  had 
refused  to  tell  her  tale  except  to  his  ears. 

"  I  may  as  well  have  the  advantage  of  my 
luck,  if  any  advantage  there  be ! "  she  had  told 
herself. 

Ney  listened,  frowning. 

" You  are  in  luck,  mon  brave"  he  said. 
"What  is  your  name?" 

"Michel  Prevost,  Excellence." 

"  Good  ;  you  are  a  sergeant,  I  see  ;  call  your- 
self a  lieutenant ;  do  you  know  this  place  the 
fellow  referred  to — the  place  of  ambush?" 

"  I  was  myself  ambushed  there  yesterday  with 


MOSCOW  219 

my  regiment,  Excellence  ;  it  is  well  adapted  for  a 
surprise." 

"  Good  ;  you  shall  be  guide  ;  the  surprise  this 
time  shall  be  to  the  Cossacks  and  your  friends 
with  the  pitchforks.  If  you  guide  us  cleverly 
you  shall  call  yourself  captain,  though,  entre 
nous,  I  think  most  of  us  are  more  likely  to  need 
our  titles  for  paradise  than  for  Paris ! " 

On  this  occasion  the  Cossacks  were  caught 
napping  and  Louise  came  out  of  her  adventure 
with  the  epaulettes  of  a  captain,  which  Ney 
bestowed  upon  her  with  his  own  hands. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  rear-guard  of  the  Grand  Army  fared  worse 
and  worse  as  the  days  and  weeks  passed,  its 
numbers  diminished  until  there  remained  but  a 
straggling  remnant  which  crept  into  Vilna,  only  to 
be  chased  out  again  within  a  few  hours  of  their 
arrival  there.  Louise,  in  her  captain's  epaulettes, 
was  still  alive  and  well,  though  thin  and  haggard 
almost  beyond  recognition  for  want  of  good  food 
and  rest. 

At  Vilna  she  came  across  several  officers  of 
Henri  d'Estreville's  Lancer  regiment,  and  these 
she  questioned — in  terror  for  their  reply — in  hopes 
of  news  of  her  friend,  who  was  not  with  them. 

"  D'Estreville  ?  "  cried  one  of  them,  laughing 
grimly.  "  Where  is  he,  you  ask  ?  I  should  say 
that  depends,  for  those  who  believe  in  a  future 
existence,  upon  his  past  life.  Henri  was  the  best 
of  bons  camarades,  but  it  may  be  that  good  com- 
radeship is  a  quality  which  is  not  highly  valued 
by  those  who  will  make  up  our  accounts ! " 

"  Do  you  mean,"  poor  Louise  murmured,  "  that 


220 


MOSCOW  221 

he  has  actually  died ;  did  you  see  him  die,  or 
was  he  merely  wounded  ?  If  so,  where  has  he 
remained  ? " 

"  My  friend,"  said  the  other,  "  I  did  not  see 
him  struck  down  ;  I  know  nothing  of  him.  In 
these  days,  one  thanks  God  if  one  is  alive  at 
sundown  and  not  buried  by  these  accursed 
Russian  snows,  with  a  thrice-damned  Cossack 
bullet  to  keep  one  company.  There  is  no  time 
for  friendship  and  philanthropy  and  so  on." 

"  He  is  my  dearest  friend,"  Louise  murmured  ; 
"  if  only  I  knew  where  he  had  fallen,  I  would 
return." 

"  Mon  ami,  hell  is  behind  us,  in  the  shape  of 
Platof  and  Chechakof  and  their  most  damnable 
Cossacks.  You  would  find  it  even  more  impos- 
sible to  go  backward  than  forward.  Your  friend 
may  be  alive  and  well  for  aught  I  know.  Can 
either  of  you  give  this  gentleman  any  informa- 
tion ? " 

"  Who  is  it  he  wants — one  of  ours  ?  "  asked  a 
second  officer  who  sat  by  the  stove  almost  too 
exhausted  to  eat  the  mess  of  stewed  horseflesh 
which  had  been  set  before  him. 

Louise  mentioned  Henri's  name. 

"  I  saw  him  alive  in  the  forest  of  Gusinof," 
said  the  man  ;  "  that  is  where  Platof  ambushed 


222  MOSCOW 

us  and  we  got  finally  separated.  He  may  be  a 
prisoner,  or  of  course  Platofs  devils  may  have 
cut  him  to  pieces ;  he  would  not  be  the  only  one 
that  died  in  that  accursed  wood,  not  by  two 
thousand !  That  was  the  most  detestable  night 
I  ever  spent.  Go  and  look  for  him  in  the  forest, 
my  friend,  if  your  affection  will  carry  you  to  so 
great  a  length.  Good  Lord !  It  is  a  thing 
David  would  have  refused  to  do  for  Jonathan ! " 
The  weary  man  laughed  and  filled  his  mouth 
with  the  savoury  horseflesh. 

"If  you  are  wise,"  he  added,  with  his  mouth 
still  half  full,  "  you  will  get  to  Paris  the  best  and 
quickest  way  you  can,  and  hope  that  your  friend 
will  find  his  way  there  also !  Sapristi,  it  is  not 
likely  that  either  he  or  you  or  any  of  us  will  get 
much  farther  than  this.  Listen — is  that  the 
Cossacks  already  ?  Curse  them,  I  must  sleep  or 
go  mad ! " 

Fagged,  dazed,  starved,  desperate,  the  un- 
fortunate rear-guard,  led  by  their  indomitable 
chief,  straggled  forward.  Dogged  by  hordes  of 
pitiless  Cossacks  they  contrived  eventually  to 
reach  the  river  Niemen,  and  to  cross  into  safety, 
the  last  survivors  of  Napoleon's  army  ;  their 
miserable  story  is  well  known  and  need  not  be 
recapitulated. 


MOSCOW  223 

Louise  seemed  to  bear  a  charmed  life. 
Though,  believing  that  Henri  d'Estreville 
was  among  the  large  majority  of  the  Grande 
Armee  lying  beneath  the  snows  of  Russia,  she 
would  gladly  have  remained,  like  her  lover, 
among  the  ten  who  stayed  behind  rather  than 
be  the  one  who  escaped — for  of  Napoleon's  half 
million  of  men  scarcely  a  tithe  returned  to  their 
homes — yet  Louise  saw  her  companions  fall 
around  her  and  never  a  bullet  touched  her  or 
a  sword  or  a  spear  grazed  her. 

"  You  and  I  are  wonders,  Prevost,"  said  her 
colonel.  "  Are  we  preserved  for  great  military 
careers,  think  you  ?  Nom  d'un  Marshal,  I 
think  I  could  be  another  Ney  if  I  had  the 
opportunity !  Sapristi,  he  is  splendid  !  " 

"  As  for  me,  I  have  done  with  war,"  Louise 
sighed.  "  My  days  of  fighting  are  over." 

"  Why,  you  are  but  a  lad — a  conscript  of 
1812;  the  year  is  only  now  ending  and  you 
wear  a  captain's  epaulettes !  Nonsense,  my 
son,  go  home  and  rest  and  dream  of  glory ; 
you  will  tell  a  different  tale  when  you  have 
recovered." 

Then  Louise  walked  one  day  into  her  father's 
salon  while  the  old  man,  with  Marie,  sat  and 
listened  as  young  Havet  read  out  Napoleon's 


224  MOSCOW 

latest  bulletin.  The  Emperor  had  been  in  Paris 
for  some  little  while,  having  deserted  his  army, 
and  was  already  busy  with  his  new  project  of 
raising  300,000  men,  in  order  to  regain  the 
prestige  he  had  undoubtedly  lost  in  the  dis- 
astrous Moscow  campaign. 

"  Stop,  Havet,  who  is  this  that  enters  with- 
out knocking  ?  "  exclaimed  old  Dupre  angrily  ; 
his  temper  had  not  improved  of  late,  owing  to 
the  reverses  of  the  French  arms  and  the  absence 
of  news  of  Louise,  as  to  whose  safety  neither 
his  heart  nor  his  conscience  was  at  rest.  Marie 
uttered  a  cry  of  delight  "  Father,  it  is  Louise !  " 
she  screamed.  "  Louise — sister.  Oh,  how  thin, 
how  worn,  how " 

The  sisters  embraced  one  another  warmly  ; 
old  Dupre  held  his  daughter  to  his  heart,  en- 
deavouring, after  his  manner,  to  suppress  every 
sign  of  emotion.  His  arms  came  in  contact 
with  her  epaulettes.  "  Why,"  he  cried,  "  Marie, 
Havet,  see  what  is  here,  the  epaulettes  of  an 
officer ;  Louise,  you  have  won  promotion — 
glory — is  it  not  so  ?  " 

"  I  received  a  commission  ;  what  glory  can 
any  one  claim — on  our  side — and  such  a  war! 
There  must  be  officers,  nine  in  ten  were  killed  ; 
do  not  talk  of  the  war,  my  father;  are  you  well  ?  " 


MOSCOW  225 

The  old  man  gazed  at  his  daughter  in  pride 
and  exultation. 

"  Listen  to  her  modesty — no  glory,  says  she  ; 
a  little  conscript  returns  a  captain,  and  no  glory ! 
Hola,  there,  Havet,  order  food  and  wine.  Mon 
Dieu,  Louise,  you  have  seen  adversity,  you  are 
thin  and  in  rags,  to-morrow  you  shall  have  new 
uniform  ! — the  Emperor  already  assembles  a  new 
army  to  chastise  these  Cossacks.  Mori  de  ma 
vie,  my  daughter,  you  shall  die  a  marshal,  I 
swear  it ! " 

Louise  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  chill 
the  old  man's  happiness  by  telling  him  that 
to-morrow  she  would  return  to  the  ordinary 
costume  of  her  sex ;  that  she  was  sick  of  man's 
attire  and  of  war  and  all  that  appertained  to 
the  profession  of  arms ;  that  she  was,  indeed, 
weary  of  life  itself  and  longed  to  be  where 
Henri  d'Estreville  was,  at  rest  among  the 
frozen  pine-trees  in  some  snow-covered  Russian 
forest. 

The  evening  proved  a  painful  one  for  Louise, 
who  did  her  best,  however,  to  maintain  a  cheer- 
ful demeanour,  while  her  father — to  whom  this 
was,  perhaps,  the  happiest  hour  of  his  life — held 
forth  upon  his  favourite  theme  of  glory  and 
honour  and  a  marshal's  baton  in  store  for 

15 


226  MOSCOW 

Louise,  and  so  forth.  Young  Havet  was  to 
take  part  in  the  coming  war ;  if  possible  he 
should  enlist  in  Michel  Prevost's  regiment  (the 
old  man  laughed  heartily  as  he  pronounced  the 
name !),  and  perhaps  Louise  would  do  her  best 
to  assist  him  in  his  military  career. 

When  the  trying  evening  was  over  and 
Louise  parted  with  her  sister  for  the  night, 
Marie  took  her  aside. 

"  You  are  depressed,  sister,  what  ails  you  ? " 
she  said.  "  Oh,  I  can  see  plainly  that  all  is  not 
well.  Are  you  ill  in  body  ?  " 

"  I  am  worn  and  weary,  sister ;  yes,  I  am 
depressed ;  who  would  not  be,  that  has  seen 
the  sights  that  I  have  seen  since  Moscow  ?  " 

"  Ah — ah !  You  are  not  so  much  in  love 
with  war  as  father  would  have  you  ?  " 

"  In  love  with  war — bah  !  It  is  devil's  work, 
Marie,  unsuccessful  war,  at  any  rate." 

"  Tell  me,  sister,  have  you  seen  Henri 
d'Estreville,  is  he  well?" 

Louise  flushed  and  caught  at  the  chair  back. 
"  Yes,  I  have  seen  him  many  times.  I  know 
not  whether  I  shall  see  him  again.  Who  can 
tell  who  has  returned  and  who  not  ?  Nine  in 
each  ten  have  remained." 

"  Oh,  sister,  and  you  love  him — is  it  not  so  ? " 


MOSCOW  227 

"  Love — bah  !  One  has  other  things  to  think 
of  than  love  when  one  is  running  in  front  of  the 
Cossack  sabres.  Let  us  talk  no  more  of  the 
war,  sister,  nor  yet  of  love  ;  let  me  thank  le  bon 
Dieit  that  I  have  done  both  with  one  and  the 
other  ;  I  would  rest  and  rest  and  again  rest." 

"Poor  Louise,"  said  Marie,  kissing  her; 
"  poor  Louise !  " 

Afterwards  she  added,  speaking  of  this  to 
her  husband,  that  Louise  must  indeed  have 
supped  her  fill  of  horrors  since  even  love  had 
been  forgotten  in  the  tumults  and  terrors  of  war. 

Louise  submitted  to  be  presented  with  a  new 
uniform,  which  her  father  bought  for  her  the 
very  next  day.  She  would  rather  have  donned 
her  woman's  skirt,  but  for  several  reasons  she 
consented  to  figure  a  while  at  least  as  Michel 
Prevost.  One  of  these  was  the  distaste  she  felt 
in  her  present  condition  of  weakness  and  utter 
fatigue  of  mind  and  body  for  any  sort  of  argu- 
ment or  discussion  with  her  father.  Another 
was  an  irresistible  desire  to  move  among  those 
who  had  returned  from  the  war,  in  order  that 
she  might  gather  any  information  there  might 
be  with  regard  to  the  fate  of  Henri. 

Louise  had  not  altogether  despaired  of  him. 
Soldiers  and  officers  still  dribbled  daily  into 
15* 


228  MOSCOW 

Paris,  emaciated,  tattered,  half-alive  ;  men  who 
had  somehow  lagged,  through  wounds  or  ill- 
ness, and  had  contrived  to  escape  the  countless 
dangers  which  assailed  them  in  their  solitary 
retreat  through  a  hostile  country.  Why  should 
not  Henri  have  escaped,  like  others  ?  She  would 
allow  herself  to  hope  a  little  ;  just  a  very  little. 

And  about  a  month  after  her  own  arrival  a 
wonderful  day  dawned  for  her.  Seated  at  a 
restaurant  close  to  a  table  at  which  sat  four 
officers  of  Henri's  regiment,  Louise  suddenly 
caught  the  sound  of  his  name. 

"That  makes  seven  alive,"  some  one  was 
saying  ;  "  one  better  than  we  thought.  Certainly 
no  one  could  have  supposed  that  D'Estreville 
would  reappear.  His  has  been,  I  think,  the 
narrowest  escape  of  all.  His  trials  have  de- 
pressed even  his  spirit.  Have  any  of  you  ever 
seen  Henri  depressed  ?  He  will  be  here, 
presently,  you  shall  judge  for  yourselves.  Sa- 
pristil  he  has  left  his  gaiety  with  all  Ney's 
guns  in  the  Niemen.  Seven  officers  out  of 
forty " 

Flushed,  giddy,  almost  swooning  for  joy, 
Louise  stumbled  out  of  the  restaurant.  "  I 
will  return  immediately  "  she  told  the  astonished 
waiter. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

IF  any  one  had  informed  Henri d'Estreville  on  the 
morning  when,  departing  for  the  war,  he  took  a 
somewhat  affectionate  farewell  of  Louise  Dupre, 
that  his  strange  sensation  of  particular  tender- 
ness for  the  girl  would  not  only  prove  an  abid- 
ing sensation,  but  would  actually  develop  into 
something  remarkably  like  the  tender  passion  it- 
self, and  that  without  any  further  communication, 
meanwhile,  with  the  object  of  his  affection,  he 
would  have  laughed  the  idea  to  scorn. 

It  was  not  in  accordance  with  Henri's  tem- 
perament that  his  heart  should  linger  over  soft 
recollections  of  charms  which  his  eyes  no  longer 
beheld.  If  Chloe  were  absent,  Phyllis,  who  was 
present,  would  fill  her  place  excellently  well. 
No  woman  had  as  yet  proved  herself  essential 
to  him.  He  took  his  pleasure  from  the  society 
of  the  other  sex  where  and  when  he  found  it, 
and  this  sufficed. 

But    somehow    the    memory   of   Louise    had 

lingered.      Perhaps  the   combination  of  certain 

229 


230  MOSCOW 

womanly  qualities  with  her  splendid  skill  and 
courage  in  manly  exercises  had  impressed  him. 
Certainly  he  had  not  forgotten  her  magnificent 
eyes,  he  often  recalled  these  when  his  recollec- 
tion of  her  other  features  had  faded.  Louise 
had  made  no  secret  of  her  preference  for  Henri 
over  every  other  man  of  her  acquaintance.  That 
alone,  however,  would  not  have  greatly  attracted 
the  Baron,  for  he  was  a  favourite  with  the  sex, 
and  Louise  was  not  the  first  who  had  been 
simple  enough  to  lay  bare  to  him  her  heart  of 
hearts. 

"  I  am  a  fool,"  thought  Henri  ;  "  but  there  is 
no  doubt  that  I  wish  to  see  her.  Perhaps  the 
best  medicine  for  my  sickness  will  be  to  do  so 
as  soon  as  possible.  Probably  the  first  glance 
will  disenchant  me.  I  have  somehow,  and  most 
foolishly,  so  embellished  my  recollections  of  her 
that  I  am  remembering  an  ideality  !  The  reality 
will  soon  set  me  right  again ! " 

Thus  it  was  that  one  morning  as  old  Pierre 
sat  with  his  daughter  Marie,  Louise  being  absent 
with  Karl  Ha  vet,  a  servant  announced  the 
Baron  Henri  d'Estreville. 

"  Who  is  he  ?  "  said  old  Pierre,  frowning  ;  "I 
do  not  remember  to  have  had  a  pupil  of  that 
name ! " 


MOSCOW  231 

"Ask  the  Baron  to  wait  a  moment  in  the 
salon,"  said  Marie.  "  Do  you  not  remember, 
father  ?  "  she  continued,  laughing,  when  the  ser- 
vant had  disappeared.  "  This  is  a  very  beautiful 
young  man,  and  in  one  respect  at  least,  unique 
as  well." 

"  Unique  ?  "  repeated  Dupre  ;  "  and  how  so  ? " 

"  In  that  he  is  the  only  male  being  who  ever 
succeeded  in  causing  our  Louise  an  extra  pulse- 
beat  or  two.  Have  you  forgotten  how  she 
nearly  lost  her  heart,  and  how  distressed  you 
were,  just  before  her  departure  for  the  war  ?  " 

"  Sapristi — I  remember  the  fool.  What  has 
he  come  for,  think  you  ?  " 

"  To  seek  Louise,  doubtless.  He  will  find 
that  she  is  none  the  softer  for  her  warfaring.  I 
am  not  sorry  she  is  from  home,  however,  the  sight 
of  him  might  not  be  good  for  her,  mon  pere.  It 
would  be  a  pity  if  her  career  were  spoiled  for  the 
sake  of  a  Henri  d'Estreville,  who,  they  say,  is 
not  too  trustworthy." 

"  Oho  ! "  said  old  Pierre  ;  "  is  it  so  ?  He  shall 
know  that  there  is  no  longer  a  Louise  Dupr6  to 
listen  to  his  philandering." 

This  attitude  did  not  bode  well  for  Monsieur 
le  Baron,  who  awaited  Louise  in  the  salon,  more 
agitated  than  he  would  have  believed  possible. 


232  MOSCOW 

"  Monsieur  will  doubtless  remember  me,"  he 
explained ;  "  it  was  I  who  brought  Monsieur 
Paul  de  Tourelle,  the  only  fencer — it  is  said — 
at  whose  hands  Mademoiselle  Louise  was  ever 
worsted." 

"  Ah,  his  was  a  fine  hand  with  the  foils  !  "  said 
Pierre.  "Yes,  I  remember  well.  Ha  ha!  in 
the  first  bout  she  scored  twice  with  the  feint 
flanconnade  Duprd — a  trick  new  to  him  and 
most  successful ;  but  after  consideration  he 
thought  out  a  counter  which  was  clever ;  I  re- 
member well.  Does  Monsieur  le  Baron  come 
now  as  a  pupil  ?  Let  me  see,  have  we  already 
enjoyed  the  honour  of  instructing  Monsieur  le 
Baron  ? " 

"  Monsieur,  I  have  lately  returned  from  the 
war  ;  I  have  heard  enough  of  the  clash  of  swords 
to  last  me  handsomely  until  the  Emperor  enters 
upon  a  new  enterprise  and  one,  let  us  hope,  of 
better  omen.  I  have  come  to  pay  my  respects 
to  a  friend  for  whom  I  entertain  feelings  of  the 
highest  respect  —  it  is  Mademoiselle  your 
daughter." 

"  Ah — Marie  ;  she  is  within  ;  I  will  tell  her." 
Old  Dupre  shuffled  off  as  though  to  fetch  Marie. 

"  Pardon,  Monsieur,"  said  Henri,  blushing ; 
the  old  man  was  very  dense.  "  You  have  an- 


MOSCOW  233 

other   daughter ;   it  is    Mademoiselle   Louise   I 
mean !  " 

"Louise!"  exclaimed  Dupre,  throwing  up 
his  hands ;  "  Monsieur  le  Baron  has  not  then 
heard  that  Louise  is  dead  ? " 

"  Grand  Dieu,  Monsieur,  what  are  you  say- 
ing ? "  exclaimed  Henri ;  his  cheek  grew  sud- 
denly pale ;  his  knees  seemed  to  tremble  be- 
neath him ;  he  had  risen  to  his  feet,  but  he  sat 
down  again  hurriedly. 

"  She  is  dead,  Monsieur ;  Louise  is  dead  ; 
she  has  ceased  to  exist ;  do  I  not  express  myself 
with  sufficient  clearness  ?  " 

"  Monsieur  will  pardon  my  emotion — I  had 
not  heard,"  murmured  Henri  scarcely  audibly. 
"My  God,  it  is  incredible  ;  it  is  horrible  ;  and  I 
have  so  looked  forward — Monsieur,  how  long 
since  did  this  most  lamentable  event  happen  ?  " 

"  Nearly  a  year,  Monsieur.  I  fail  to  remember 
that  Monsieur's  acquaintance  with  my  daughter 
was  particularly  intimate." 

"  Monsieur  Dupre,"  said  Henri,  finding  his 
voice,  "  I  did  not  mention  the  circumstance 
when  I  was  here  in  May  last  for  the  reason  that 
I  had  not  then  myself  realised  it  ;  but  it  is  never- 
theless the  truth  that,  short  as  was  my  acquaint- 
ance with  Mademoiselle  Louise,  it  was  long 


234  MOSCOW 

enough  to  convince  me  that  my  heart  had  in 
Mademoiselle  found  its  intimate,  its  complement, 
that  in  a  word  I  loved  Mademoiselle  and  must 
lay  at  her  feet  my  life,  my  happiness.  Monsieur, 
I  was  presumptuous  enough  to  think  that  your 
daughter  was  not  indifferent  to  me ;  her  young 
heart  had  never,  I  believe,  been  assailed  ;  I  had 
the  greatest  hopes  that  she  would  listen  favour- 
ably to  my  suit — we  should,  perhaps,  have  enjoyed 
wedded  bliss  ;  and  I  return  to  be  informed  by 
you  that  she  is  dead." 

"  Monsieur  le  Baron  will  forgive  me,"  said 
old  Dupre,  "  but  those  who  know  me  are  well 
aware  that  such  matters  as  Monsieur  speaks  of 
meet  with  no  sympathetic  response  from  my 
side.  It  is  my  grievance  against  Destiny,  Mon- 
sieur, that  my  children  should  have  been  females  ; 
Monsieur  had  not  heard  this  ?  It  is  the  truth. 
Consequently,  having  brought  up  my  daughters 
as  men  and  taught  them  the  highest  skill  in 
manly  exercises  and  to  value  such  attainments 
more  highly  than  the  usual  avocations  of  women, 
I  have  ever  observed  with  repugnance  any  in- 
dications of  a  falling  away  of  either  of  the  girls 
towards  the  ordinary  womanly  foolishness  of  a 
desire  for  love  and  courtship  and  such  things. 
Which  being  the  case,  Monsieur,  I  can  only 


MOSCOW  235 

reply  to  your  rhapsodical  utterances  by  saying 
that  I  thank  Heaven  Louise  ceased  to  exist  in 
time.  I  would  not  have  had  her  exposed  to 
such  a  declaration  as  you  intended,  I  suppose, 
to  make  to  her  this  day,  for  ten  times  the  in- 
ducements Monsieur  could  offer." 

Henri  was  silent.  The  old  man's  lack  of 
sympathy  mattered  very  little  beside  the  greater 
fact :  the  fact  of  the  death  of  Louise,  which 
Henri  felt  to  be  a  disaster  of  the  first  magni- 
tude ;  too  great,  indeed,  to  be  altogether  realised 
so  suddenly.  Here  was  a  grievance  against 
Destiny,  indeed  !  For  once  in  his  life  the  Baron 
had  come  very  near  to  falling  honestly  in  love, 
and  this  was  the  result ;  it  was  too  appalling,  too 
unfortunate  for  belief. 

"  Mademoiselle  must  have  died  soon  after  I 
left  for  the  war,"  he  murmured.  "  Was  she  long 
ill,  Monsieur  ? " 

"  Louise  died  at  the  beginning  of  the  war, 
Monsieur ;  she  ceased  to  exist,  I  remember,  on 
the  day  of  the  conscription  in  this  quartier ;  her 
end  was  sudden  ;  there  was  no  illness." 

"  She  did  not,  I  suppose,  leave  messages  for 
friends  ;  words  of  remembrance  and  so  forth — 
there  was  not  time,  perhaps  ?  " 

"  Doubtless  there   was  neither  time  nor  in- 


236  MOSCOW 

clination,  Monsieur.  Louise  was  happily  but 
little  disposed  towards  those  follies  of  womankind 
to  which  I  have  made  allusion." 

"  Pardon,  Monsieur,  I  had  reason  to  hope 
that  in  my  own  case  Mademoiselle  Louise  had 
made  an  exception." 

"  Not  so,  Monsieur  ;  believe  me,  you  are  mis- 
taken." 

"  I  think  not,  Monsieur.  I  may  tell  you, 
since  Mademoiselle  is  dead  and  I  break  no  con- 
fidence, that  she  had  even  confessed  her  love 
for  me." 

"  Then,  Sapristi,  Monsieur  le  Baron,  I  repeat 
ten  thousand  times,"  cried  old  Pierre,  banging 
the  table  with  his  fist,  "  that  I  thank  Heaven 
my  daughter  ceased  to  exist  before  your  return 
from  the  war.  Monsieur  le  Baron  will  now 
understand  my  sentiments  in  this  matter  and  will, 
I  trust,  for  the  future  retain  inviolate  the  secret 
he  has  been  good  enough  to  share  with  me." 

Henri  bowed  and  prepared  to  depart.  The 
man  was  obviously  crazy.  Probably  the  death 
of  Louise  had  overbalanced  his  reason.  Henri 
remembered  that  he  had  heard  long  ago  of  his 
eccentricity  with  regard  to  his  daughters  and 
their  sex. 

"  Monsieur  will  pardon  my  intrusion,"  he  said 


MOSCOW  237 

politely;  "he  may  rest  assured  that  the  secret 
made  over  to  him  shall  henceforward  remain 
inviolate  in  my  breast." 

When  old  Pierre  returned  to  his  daughter 
his  face  betrayed  that  he  was  in  the  best  of 
spirits.  He  entered  the  room  laughing  and 
swearing  round  oaths. 

"Ame.de  mon  J&flfo!"  he  exclaimed;  "I 
think  we  shall  have  no  more  visits  from  this 
suitor.  The  devil !  He  would  have  carried 
Louise  from  under  our  noses  if  we  and  she  had 
been  fools  enough  to  let  him.  Thanks  be  to 
Heaven  that  Louise — if  ever  for  a  moment  she 
wavered,  as  you  seem  to  suppose — quickly  re- 
covered her  balance.  It  was  your  example, 
Marie,  fool  that  you  made  of  yourself!  "  Marie 
laughed. 

"You  will  sing  a  different  song,  my  father," 
she  said,  "  when  you  have  a  houseful  of  little 
grandsons  to  educate  in  the  art  of  the  sword. 
What  did  you  tell  the  Baron?" 

"  The  old  tale — the  same  which  we  have  told 
others,  that  Louise  died  long  since.  She  '  ceased 
to  exist,'  that  was  my  expression.  Sapristi,  it  is 
the  truth  !  Louise  ceased  to  exist  when  Michel 
Prevost  came  into  existence — is  it  not  so?  Ha ! 
so  it  is  I" 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

HENRI  D'ESTREVILLE  sat  at  his  midday  meal 
at  the  restaurant  specially  frequented  by  the 
officers  of  his  regiment.  He  wore  the  aspect 
of  one  who  is  more  than  ordinarily  depressed. 
He  was  pale  and  distrait  and  neglected  the  food 
which  had  been  placed  before  him. 

Several  acquaintances  entered  the  room  and 
saluted  him  as  they  passed,  but  he  took  no 
notice  of  them. 

"What  ails  D'Estreville?"  men  asked  one 
another.  "Is  it  cards  or  a  woman?" 

Among  others  there  entered  presently  Michel 
Prevost,  who  was  known  to  very  few,  having 
but  lately  qualified  for  the  right  to  sit  at  meals 
with  the  class  of  men  mostly  frequenting  this 
eating-house  and  others  of  its  kind. 

Michel  looked  round  and  saw  Henri  d'Estre- 
ville.  His  face  flushed  and  then  paled.  He 
sat  down  on  the  nearest  seat  to  gather  breath 
and  strength.  Michel  had  almost  despaired  of 

his  friend  since  the  terrible  day  at  Vilna,  when 

238 


MOSCOW  239 

the  remnant  of  Ney's  division,  tattered  and  war- 
worn, had  marched  into  the  town  like  men  re- 
turning from  the  grave ;  when  he  had  looked 
and  inquired  for  Henri  among  the  rest  and 
found  him  not.  Even  when  he  had  heard  it 
said,  this  very  morning,  that  the  Baron  had 
reappeared,  he  had  scarcely  dared  to  believe  it. 
For  five  minutes  he  sat  still,  not  daring  to  move 
or  speak.  At  last  he  rose  from  his  seat,  and 
advancing  from  behind  came  up  and  touched 
the  Baron's  shoulder. 

"  So  you,  too,  have  reached  home  in  safety, 
mon  ami !"  he  said.  "  You  have  returned  from 
the  grave  indeed !  Do  you  not  know  that  we 
mourned  you  for  dead  ?  Allow  me  to  share 
your  table  ?  I  am  a  little  shy  of  these  super- 
aristocratic  persons  in  times  of  peace ;  in  the 
field  the  devil  may  care  how  many  airs  they  put 
on ;  but  here  it  is  different.  My  commission 
feels  new  and  strange  to  me ;  I  am  afraid  at 
every  moment  that  some  one  will  say  '  What 
right  have  you  here  ?  go  out ! ' '  Michel  talked 
quickly,  to  conceal  his  agitation.  Henri  looked 
up  and  gave  Michel  his  hand,  smiling. 

"Yes,  I  found  my  way  home  somehow,"  he 
said  ;  "  yet  for  all  the  joy  I  feel  in  living  I  wish 
to  God  I  had  stayed  beneath  the  Russian  snows." 


240  MOSCOW 

Michel  gazed  at  his  friend  in  amazement. 

"Why — what  mean  you — what  has  happened?" 
he  asked 

"  Michel,  mon  ami,  you  have  been  a  good 
friend  to  me ;  you  will  sympathise ;  it  will  do 
me  good  to  tell  you ;  listen.  Have  I  your 
permission  to  bore  you  with  my  tale  of  woe  ? " 

"  Yes — speak — who  knows,  I  may  be  able  to 
counsel  you,  give  you  relief—— 

"  No,  it  is  impossible.  Listen,  my  friend. 
You  may  remember  our  first  meeting,  when  I  lay 
wounded  at  Smolensk,  I  spoke  confidentially — 
you  will  call  it  raving,  I  daresay — the  subject, 
women ;  I  confessed  many  things  foolish  and 
wicked ;  I  spoke  of  one  pure  sentiment ;  of  the 
love,  strange  and  unfamiliar,  because  pure  and 
disinterested,  that  I  cherished  for  a  very  simple, 
very  charming  maiden  whose  name 

"  Was  Mathilde — was  it  not  ? — or  Louise  ; 
one  of  the  daughters  of  a  mattre  cfarmes" 

"  Yes  ;  Louise  ;  you  professed  to  know  her — 
to  have  heard  of  her,  at  any  rate.  Well,  let  that 
pass  then.  It  is  strange,  my  friend,  but  my 
affection  in  that  quarter  has  not  vanished  after 
the  fashion  of  the  wretched  sentiment  I  have 
hitherto  felt  for  other  women,  which  has  evapo- 
rated when  the  object  is  absent.  On  the  con- 


MOSCOW  241 

trary,  it  has  increased  in  absence.  I  returned 
home  to  Paris  inclined,  certainly,  to  love  the 
girl  even  more  than  I  loved  her  at  parting ;  a 
wonderful  thing  for  me,  Michel,  mon  brave,  and 
very  remarkable."  Henri  smiled  ruefully  at  his 
friend. 

"  Continue,"  said  Michel,  whose  face  looked 
pale,  perhaps  in  sympathy  with  that  of  his 
companion. 

"  Well,  I  return.  I  go,  almost  the  first  avail- 
able moment,  to  see  my  charming  one.  I  enter 
the  house,  my  heart  glowing  with  love  and  sweet 
anticipation.  I  am  received  by  her  father,  who 
is  cold,  polite,  long-winded,  unsympathetic.  I 

ask  for  Louise "  Henri  paused  ;  his  fingers 

tapped  upon  the  table ;  his  voice  had  grown 
suddenly  hoarse  ;  there  was  actually  moisture  in 
his  eyes. 

"Continue,"  murmured  Michel,  who  won- 
dered what  was  coming,  for  all  this  was  a 
surprise  to  him,  neither  Dupre  nor  Marie 
having  breathed  a  word  of  the  visit  of  Baron 
Henri. 

"  I  ask  for  Louise,"  D'Estreville  continued. 
"  She  is  dead." 

"Dead?"  exclaimed  Michel,  suddenly  rising 

to  his  feet  and  pushing  back  his  chair  with  a 

16 


242  MOSCOW 

clatter.     "  Who  said  so  ?     Why  dead  ?     What 
mean  you  ?  " 

Michel  was  never  so  grateful  to  destiny  as  at 
this  moment,  for  he  was  able  to  ease  his  feelings 
by  an  exhibition  of  genuine  surprise.  But  for 
that  he  must  soon  have  burst  into  tears. 

"Simply  that  she  is  dead.  It  is  true,  my 
friend.  '  She  is  dead,'  said  her  parent,  and 
'  since  it  appears  you  come  as  a  lover  and  would 
have  stolen  from  me  my  daughter  who  should 
be  above  such  feminine  foolishness  as  love  and 
marriage,  I  add  my  thanks  to  the  Highest  that 
she  has  ceased  to  exist  in  time ' — these  are  the 
very  words  of  her  father,  whose  throat  I  could 
have  pinched  with  satisfaction.  What  say  you, 
mon  ami,  have  I  the  right  to  be  distressed? 
By  all  the  Saints,  Michel,  it  is  too  cruel  a  trick 
of  Destiny.  I  could  have  loved  this  girl.  God 
knows,  I  might  even  have  married  her.  Never 
before  have  I  felt  so  fondly  disposed  towards  a 
woman,  never  so  virtuous.  I  believe  this  was 
true  love,  my  friend,  or  the  beginning  of  it." 

"  Nom  de  la  Guerre ! "  exclaimed  Michel. 
"  And  she  is  dead,  say  you — the  father  himself 
declared  it?" 

"  I  have  said  so.  '  She  ceased  to  exist ' — that 
was  his  odd  manner  of  expressing  it ;  '  she  ceased 


MOSCOW  243 

to  exist  on  the  day  of  conscription ' ;  it  is  odd  how 
the  crazy  old  man  dates  naturally  from  that  day  ; 
he  is  mad  upon  men  ;  he  loves  only  men,  honours 
men,  thinks  men  ;  women  are  nothing  to  him. 
You  would  suppose  he  would  be  affected  in 
speaking  of  the  death  of  his  daughter  ;  but  no ! 
It  seemed  that  her  loss  is  nothing  to  him. 
Why?  because  she  was  not  a  man." 

To  Henri's  surprise  and  displeasure  Michel 
at  this  point  suddenly  burst  into  a  roar  of 
laughter.  He  looked  up  frowning. 

"  I  beg  ten  thousand  pardons,"  cried  Michel, 
half  choking ;  "  I  am  not  wanting  in  sympathy, 
mon  ami ;  but  in  truth  the  attitude  and  words 
of  this  old  man  are  very  comical.  Forgive  me, 
Baron,  I  was  very  rude." 

"  Enough.  I  would  laugh  also  if  I  had  the 
heart.  Certainly  the  old  man  is  a  lunatic.  Tell 
me,  Michel;  what  shall  I  do?  What  is  going 
on  ?  I  shall  die  of  ennui  if  I  sit  and  nurse  my 
grief,  as  now.  Thanks  to  Heaven  that  you 
have  arrived  ;  it  may  be  that  the  Saints  sent 
you  for  my  salvation,  as  before  at  Smolensk. 
Come,  suggest.  I  must  be  made  amused  ;  must 
laugh.  I  must  see  movement  of  men  and 
women." 

"Ha!  you  are  not  so  overwhelmed  by  your 
16* 


244  MOSCOW 

grief,  I  see,  that  you  cannot  feel  the  desire  for 
amusement.  That  is  a  good  sign,  Baron  ;  you 
will  soon  recover,  I  prophesy." 

"  A  good  sign,  say  you  ?  There  is  no  question 
of  recovery.  You  are  far  from  the  truth,  my 
friend.  It  is  distraction  that  I  need.  I  do  not 
yet  ask  to  be  cured,  that  would  be  impossible." 

"  That  depends !  The  rapidity  of  the  healing 
depends  upon  the  severity  or  otherwise  of  the 
wound.  Yours  is,  I  take  it,  but  a  shallow  slash." 

"  Michel,  you  wound  me  again  by  these  words. 
I  need  distraction ;  but  that  does  not  imply  that 
I  am  not  almost  heart-broken,  which  I  verily 
believe  that  I  am.  You,  who  have  never  been 
in  love,  are  unable  to  appreciate  the  anguish  of 
having  loved  and  lost." 

"  Thanks  be  to  Heaven  I  have  never  yet  loved 
woman  in  that  foolish  manner,"  said  Michel. 
"  You  are  right,  my  friend.  Tell  me,  is  it  worth 
while  to  love  when  an  accident,  such  as  this  from 
which  you  now  suffer,  may  in  an  instant  turn 
love  to  misery  ?  Is  there  any  woman  in  this 
world  for  whose  sake  it  is  worth  while  to  break 
one's  heart  ? " 

"  I  thought  the  same  but  a  short  while  since. 
You  are  young,  Michel ;  do  not  boast.  One 
day  you  too  will  love." 


MOSCOW  245 

"  Absit  omen  I  "  laughed  the  other.  "  I  say 
that  there  is  no  woman  worth  loving ;  worth, 
that  is,  breaking  one's  heart  over,  in  case  she 
should  prove  unfaithful,  or  die  or  what  not." 

"  And  I  say  that  one  such,  at  least,  there  has 
been.  Do  not  speak  so  positively,  Michel,  my 
friend,  of  matters  in  which  you  are  altogether 
ignorant." 

"  Well,  have  it  your  own  way  ;  but  I  swear 
that  I,  for  one,  shall  never  love  a  woman." 

"  I  am  sorry  that  my  grief  has  had  so  deterrent 
an  effect  upon  you,"  Henri  sighed,  "  though  I  will 
not  say  that  I  am  surprised  ;  for  indeed,  now 
that  I  have  lost  her  before  she  was  won,  I  wish 
with  all  my  heart  I  had  never  seen  her.  Like 
you,  I  am  tempted  to  swear  that  I  shall  never 
give  my  heart  of  hearts  to  another  woman." 

"Oh,  oh!"  laughed  Michel.  "That  is  not 
easily  believed ;  for  they  say  that  once  a  heart 
has  become  susceptible  to  womankind  there  is 
no  more  controlling  its  vagaries.  Be  sure,  my 
friend,  that  we  shall  find  you  falling  in  love,  and 
maybe  far  more  seriously  than  before,  with  the 
first  fair  lady  you  see." 

Henri  looked  reproachfully  at  his  friend. 

"  Let  us  talk  of  other  things,"  he  said  ;  "  it  is 
too  early  as  yet  to  make  of  love  a  jesting  matter  ; 


246  MOSCOW 

my  heart  is  sorer  than  you  think,  Michel,  or 
perhaps  you  would  speak  more  sympathetically. 
Remember  that  my  grief  is  as  yet  very  green." 
"  Forgive  me,"  said  Michel,  a  softer  look 
stealing  into  his  eyes.  "  I  will  jest  no  more. 
Come,  we  will  walk  in  the  streets  of  Paris  ; 
Sapristi !  it  is  better  than  Moscow,  ha  ? " 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

NAPOLEON  and  his  Grand  Army  had  been  starved 
out  of  Moscow  ;  they  had  made  their  futile  at- 
tempt to  destroy  the  Kremlin,  they  had  delivered 
their  last  savage  onslaught  upon  the  inhabitants, 
lighted  the  last  fire,  desecrated  the  last  church, 
exploded  the  last  mine,  insulted  the  last  woman ; 
they  had  manoeuvred  in  the  direction  of  St. 
Petersburg  and  of  the  rich  Volga  provinces  in 
order  to  cover  the  movements  of  the  main  force, 
and  finally  they  had  thrown  to  the  winds  all 
subterfuge  and  frankly  made  off  with  all  speed 
towards  the  frontier  and  France,  leaving  behind 
them  a  city  of  smoke  and  of  fire,  of  starvation, 
of  desertion  and  of  the  dead.  Within  the  cathe- 
drals was  the  stench  of  stabled  horses,  with  all 
the  filth  attendant  thereon.  Dead  bodies  of 
men  and  women,  of  horses  and  dogs,  lay  about 
the  streets  unremoved.  Scarcely  a  house  within 
a  twelve-mile  radius  of  the  centre  of  the  city  but 
was  wholly  or  partially  burned,  pillaged,  and  its 
contents  pulled  hither  and  thither  and  destroyed. 

247 


248  MOSCOW 

Scarcely  had  the  last  Frenchman  left  the 
place  to  its  silence  and  emptiness  when  back 
into  this  city  of  death  and  destruction  began  to 
creep,  cautiously,  at  first,  but  presently  to  crowd 
into  each  gate  that  gave  access  within  the  walls, 
a  dense  mob  of  her  banished  inhabitants,  each 
anxious  to  make  his  way  to  the  quarter  of  the 
city  in  which  his  home  had  existed  a  month  ago. 
Would  it  be  found  standing  now  ?  Of  the  Lares 
and  Penates  left  behind  in  the  terror  and  stress 
of  sudden  departure,  would  anything  be  left  to 
him? 

The  great  majority  found  their  houses  burned. 
Those  whose  four  walls  were  still  standing  found 
their  homes  sacked  and  looted,  their  possessions 
ruthlessly  destroyed  and  themselves  ruined. 

From  end  to  end  of  Moscow  a  wail  of  despair 
arose  and  continued  day  long,  for  in  the  city 
proper,  out  of  6,000  wooden  houses  4,500  were 
burned  down,  while  of  the  2,500  brick  dwell- 
ings which  had  existed  before  the  fires,  only  500 
now  remained  standing. 

But  meanwhile  the  last  of  the  retiring  French 
were  leaving  the  city  by  the  Borovitsky  Gate, 
and  here,  at  the  very  first  opportunity,  began 
the  stupendous  anguish  of  their  terrible  retreat. 
For  from  the  first  they  marched  from  ambush 


MOSCOW  249 

to  ambush,  from  disaster  to  disaster,  through 
miseries  of  frost  and  hunger  and  sleeplessness 
and  unceasing  attack  in  flank  and  rear.  Truly 
the  avenging  of  Moscow  began  from  her  very 
gates. 

Vera  Demidof  came  with  the  rest  of  the 
returning  fugitives  into  Moscow,  came — like 
thousands  of  others — to  find  that  the  house  in 
the  Sloboda  had  been  looted  and  wrecked, 
though  the  fire  had  not  reached  it.  Vera  had 
hurried  back  to  Moscow,  however,  not  from  any 
anxiety  as  to  the  family  mansion  or  its  contents, 
she  came  because  she  had  ascertained  from 
Sasha  Maximof  that  his  regiment  was  to  be 
one  of  those  which  should  first  engage  the  re- 
treating French  beyond  the  walls  of  Moscow. 

"Just  to  hurry  them  up  and  see  them  safely 
off  the  premises,"  Sasha  had  laughingly  ex- 
pressed it  but  yesterday,  paying  her  a  hurried 
visit  at  the  village  to  which  she  had  retired  on 
leaving  Moscow. 

Indeed,  as  the  crowds  of  Muscovites  entered 
the  city  at  one  side,  the  roar  of  cannon  from  the 
opposite  end  of  the  town,  beyond  the  Borovitsky 
Gate,  gave  grim  evidence  that  the  Frenchmen 
were  not  being  permitted  to  march  away  in 
peace  and  impunity. 


250  MOSCOW 

"  If  you  should  be  wounded  outside  Moscow, 
send  me  word,"  Vera  had  said  at  parting.  She 
felt  depressed  and  inclined  to  expect  disaster, 
though  she  was  not  one  to  indulge  weakly  and 
without  resistance  in  presentiments  ;  Vera's 
healthy  intelligence  was  accustomed  to  look 
upon  such  things  as  foolishness. 

"  Why  do  you  expect  me  to  get  hurt  ?  "  Sasha 
had  laughed.  "  When  my  time  comes  I  shall  die, 
but  I  do  not  think  that  is  yet,  Vera.  There  is 
something  I  am  determined  to  achieve  before  I 
finish  with  life — can  you  guess  what  it  is  ? " 

Vera  did  not  attempt  to  guess.  ' '  You  are 
always  getting  hurt,"  she  laughed.  "  Send  me 
word  by  a  soldier  if  you  are  clumsy  enough  to 
stand  in  the  way  of  a  French  bullet"  Vera 
laughed  though  she  spoke  with  a  full  heart. 

In  consequence  of  this  conversation,  Sasha 
actually  wrote  Vera's  address  upon  a  slip  of 
paper  which  he  gave  to  a  trooper  in  his  regi- 
ment, bidding  him  keep  an  eye  upon  him  and 
ride  back  to  Moscow  quickly,  if  he  should  fall, 
in  order  to  tell  the  lady  named  in  the  written 
address  of  what  had  occurred.  When,  later  in 
the  day,  Sasha's  regiment  received  orders  to 
charge  from  their  cover  a  body  of  French  foot- 
guards,  the  trooper  to  whose  care  Sasha  had 


MOSCOW  251 

entrusted  his  slip  of  paper  and  who  rode  close 
at  Sasha's  stirrup  saw  a  notable  sight. 

In  the  melee  he  heard  a  French  officer  call 
gaily  to  the  Count  Maximof : — 

"Hi,"  he  cried,  "  mon  ami,  Maximof,  here  am 
I,  let  us  finish  that  old  matter  ". 

Sasha  had  turned  his  horse,  and  with  an  ex- 
clamation made  straight  for  the  Frenchman,  at 
whom  he  lunged  and  struck  with  his  sabre.  But 
the  Frenchman  skilfully  dodged  his  blows,  and 
watching  his  opportunity  planted  a  thrust  of  his 
bayonet  which  entered  the  Count's  body  and 
tumbled  him  off  his  horse  senseless. 

"  Aha !  "  the  Frenchman  cried,  "  that  was  more 
than  I  meant ;  what  will  the  fair  Vera  say ! " 
Almost  at  the  same  moment  a  Russian  trooper 
rode  this  French  officer  down,  and  the  messenger 
himself  dealt  him  a  whack  with  his  sword  that 
half  severed  his  left  arm  at  the  shoulder. 

After  this  the  stress  of  battle  separated  the 
trooper  from  these  two  fallen  men,  but  when 
the  fight  was  done  and  the  Frenchmen  had 
gone  forward,  pursued  by  the  Russian  mounted 
men,  the  trooper,  whose  name  was  Markof,  re- 
turned to  the  spot  to  see  how  the  Count  fared. 
Here  he  found  the  Frenchman  actually  giving 
Maximof  a  drink  from  his  flask,  talking  to  him 


252  MOSCOW 

the  while  in  French  and  laughing ;  Maximof  s 
eyes  were  open,  but  he  breathed  with  difficulty. 

Markof  spoke  to  him,  saying  he  would  now 
ride  back  to  the  address  given  upon  his  paper, 
which  name  and  address  he  read  aloud  in  order 
to  make  sure  he  had  it  right. 

"  Ah,  ah ! "  said  the  Frenchman,  "  Vera  Demi- 
dof — good — go  back  and  tell  her,  my  friend, 
that  there  are  two  who  wish  to  see  her  before 
they  die.  Sapristi,  we  are  in  luck,  Maximof, 
both  of  us!" 

At  this  the  Count  smiled,  but  said  nothing, 
being  apparently  very  weak.  Presently  he  shut 
his  eyes  and  swooned. 

"Go,  my  friend,  I  will  keep  him  alive  till  she 
comes,"  said  the  Frenchman,  and  away  went 
Markof  upon  his  mission. 

Vera  received  the  messenger,  pale  but  dry- 
eyed  and  resolute. 

"  He  is  alive?"  she  asked.     Markof  nodded. 

"When  I  left,"  he  said  ;  " but  he  is  bad,  lady  ; 
do  not  expect  too  much.  A  Frenchman  sits 
by  his  side,  wounded  also,  who  has  undertaken 
to  keep  him  alive  with  brandy  until  you  come. 
They  seem  to  know  one  another." 

Vera  looked  puzzled  for  a  minute,  then  her 
face  brightened. 


MOSCOW  253 

"I  am  ready,"  she  said,  "and  my  droshka 
is  ready,  we  will  go  at  once." 

Markof  led  the  way  to  the  spot  in  which 
Sasha  had  fallen.  Amid  the  dead  and  dying 
around  they  found  Paul  de  Tourelle  dozing,  but 
Sasha  had  disappeared.  Paul  opened  his  eyes 
at  the  sound  of  their  voices. 

"  Ah !  the  fair  Vera,"  he  said  ;  "  I  am  glad  I 
have  lived  long  enough  to  see  you ;  I  am 
desolate,  Mademoiselle,  by  reason  of  your  treat- 
ment of  me,  yet  I  forgive  you.  Your  friend 
Maximof  has  been  taken  by  Russian  peasants 
to  the  village  yonder ;  me  they  left,  after  be- 
stowing a  great  whack  upon  my  head  with  a 

bludgeon — Maximof  is  alive  ;  he "  Paul's 

head  drooped  and  he  closed  his  eyes.  He  had 
spoken  gaily,  but  his  voice  came  faintly  and  in 
gasps. 

"  Markof,  my  friend,  go  to  the  village  and 
find  the  Count  Maximof,"  said  Vera.  "  I  will 
come  very  soon.  See  that  I  am  shown  the 
right  house  without  delay  when  I  arrive." 

Vera  took  the  flask  which  lay  at  Paul's  feet ; 
she  administered  a  drop  or  two  of  its  contents 
to  the  swooning  man.  He  opened  his  eyes 
and  smiled. 

"  This  is  the  irony  of  fate,  Mademoiselle  Vera 


254  MOSCOW 

— two  splendid  lovers,  and  both  to  lie  dying.  I 
am  glad  to  see  you  again.  Mon  Dieu,  how  I 
loved  you  in  Paris !  I  have  never  yet  loved 
faithfully,  but  in  you  I  thought  I  had  at  length 
found  my  destiny." 

"  Monsieur,  can  I  ease  your  pain,  is  there 
anything  I  can  do  for  you  ?  "  said  Vera. 

"Ma  mie,  I  am  past  praying  for;  tell  me, 
were  you  near  loving  me  in  Paris?  Sapristi, 
but  for  this  war  I  believe  we  should  have  come 
together.  You  are  lucky,  Mademoiselle,  to 
have  escaped  me.  I  am  not  one  of  the  constant 
ones.  Perhaps  Maximof  is  different,  he  is  slow 
and  stolid  and  perhaps  faithful,  not  like  us 
Frenchmen — we  are  like  the  bubbles  in  cham- 
pagne— we  come  and  go — I  pray  that  Maximof 
may  live."  Paul's  head  drooped  again  and  his 
eyes  closed.  Vera  thought  he  was  dead.  She 
bent  and  kissed  his  forehead,  preparing  to  depart. 
De  Tourelle  opened  his  eyes  again. 

" Was  that  a  kiss ?"  he  murmured.  "Ah,  I 
was  right — you  might  have  loved  me,  but  for 
my  ill-fortune  when  you  overheard  me  ask  for 
Clotilde — ha  ha  !  do  you  remember  ?  That  was 
accursed  bad  luck,  indeed  !  To  go  to  the  house 
of  the  beautiful,  the  chaste  Vera  Demidof,  not 
knowing  it  was  hers,  and  to  ask  for  Clotilde !  " 


MOSCOW  255 

Paul  spoke  very  faintly ;  his  words  came 
slowly  and  more  slowly. 

"  Was  it  a  kiss,  or  did  I  dream  ? "  he  mur- 
mured. "  Mademoiselle,  I — I  did  my  best  to 
protect  Maximof  as  he  lay  here — it  was  for  your 
sake — will  you  reward  me  with  a  kiss?  I  shall 
not  live  to  tell  of  you." 

Vera  bent  and  put  her  lips  to  his  forehead. 
Paul  smiled. 

"  It  is  paradise,"  he  murmured.  "  I  die  con- 
tent." 

They  were  his  last  words.  Vera  waited  a 
moment  or  two,  then  she  knelt  and  prayed, 
made  over  the  dead  man  the  sign  of  the  cross 
and  departed. 

In  the  village  she  found  a  peasant  awaiting 
her.  "This  is  the  way,  lady,"  he  said,  in  the 
obsequious  manner  of  the  moujik  who  expects 
largess.  "It  was  I  that  found  and  brought  in 
the  gentleman.  Lord,  he  is  handsome — and 
heavy  also ! " 

Vera  gave  the  man  money.  "Is  he  alive 
—is  he  alive?"  she  said — "speak  quickly!" 

"  Alive ?  Lord,  yes !  "  said  the  moujik,  "doing 
well.  We  have  found  a  doctor  for  him  and  we 
have  not  ceased  to  pray — assuredly  he  will  live, 
Barishnya ! " 


256  MOSCOW 

The  moujik  returned  to  the  battlefield,  where 
he  spent  the  night  reaping  a  glorious  harvest, 
with  other  vultures  of  his  kidney,  from  the  un- 
fortunate dead  and  dying. 

Vera  entered  the  hut. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

MARIE  HAVET,  n£e  Dupre",  was  much  surprised 
and  somewhat  concerned  on  the  evening  of  the 
day  upon  which  Louise  had  found,  to  her  almost 
uncontrollable  joy  and  relief,  that  Henri  was 
still  alive  and  in  Paris  when  her  sister,  looking 
very  grave  and  with  signs  of  tears  and  past 
agitation  upon  her  face,  drew  her  aside  for  a 
conversation,  which,  said  Louise,  must  be  held 
absolutely  in  private.  Marie's  conscience  in- 
stantly smote  her.  She  was  going  to  be  scolded 
for  saying  nothing  about  the  Baron's  visit. 

"  Marie,"  Louise  began,  "  you  may  have  ob- 
served that  I  returned  from  the  war  depressed, 
not  joyous  and  elated  as  one  returning  home 
after  many  perils  and  who  has  received  certain 
honours  and  rewards  might  be  expected  to  be. 
Did  it  never  occur  to  you  and  to  my  father  that 
this  was  so  ? " 

"It  occurred  to  both  of  us,  sister,  that  you 
were  naturally  depressed,  that  your  career  of 
success  and  glory  should  be  already  over  and 

257  17 


258  MOSCOW 

that  you  must  return  to  the  ordinary  dull  routine 
of  home  and  of  the  sex  to  which  you  belong." 

"You  were  mistaken  in  the  reason,  sister. 
I  am  tired  to  death  of  my  uniform,  and  of  mas- 
querading as  a  man.  I  shall  thank  God  to  be 
a  woman  once  more  as  the  Seigneur  created 
me.  But  that  is  another  matter.  My  depres- 
sion was  due  to  reasons  very  different.  You 
may  remember  to  have  seen  here  a  certain 
Baron  Henri  d'Estreville." 

Marie  flushed  and  sat  down.  Her  scolding 
was  coming,  then  ;  Louise  had  somehow  heard 
of  the  Baron's  visit.  This  was  a  matter  Louise 
would  not  easily  forgive. 

"Yes,  I  remember  him.  He  came  with 
Monsieur  de  Tourelle,  the  finest  fencer  in  Paris, 
who  nevertheless  was  unable  to  have  the  better 
of  our  little  Louise." 

"  Bah ! — let  that  pass.  With  this  D'Estreville 
I  fell  in  love,  Marie — why,  there  is  no  reason 
to  look  surprised.  We  are  women  both,  you 
and  I  ;  you  were  not  ashamed  to  love  and  to 
marry,  why  should  not  I  have  loved  ? " 

"  It  is  true — it  is  true,"  Marie  murmured. 

"  More  strange  is  the  fact  that  the  Baron 
should  have  returned  my  love ;  the  darling  of 
Paris,  he  had  been  called,  Marie ;  every  woman 


MOSCOW  259 

adored  him  ;  yet  he  condescended  to  feel  for  me 
a  different  sentiment,  a  pure  and  deep  affection 
such  as  no  other  woman  had  hitherto  inspired 
in  him  ;  imagine  it,  Marie !  " 

"  Dear  Louise,  it  does  not  surprise  me,"  said 
Marie,  touched. 

"  Me,  it  surprises — delights — transforms.  By 
this  circumstance  I  have  been  made  to  see 
clearly  how  poor  a  thing  it  is  that  a  woman 
should  desire  to  masquerade  as  a  man ;  so 
clearly  that  now — even  though  my  love-dream 
is  over — I  must  return  to  my  own  sex.  I  shall 
never  see  Henri  again,  Marie ;  he  lies  buried 
beneath  the  snows  of  Russia ;  I  am  widowed 
before  I  am  a  wife." 

"  Louise,  what  are  you  saying  ?  Do  you 
imply  that  D'Estreville  is  dead,  that  he  died  in 
the  war  ?  that " 

"  Alas,  there  is  little  doubt.  Why  look  you 
so,  Marie?  You  have  not  heard  otherwise — 
alas!  that  is  impossible— can  you  wonder  that  I 
returned  dejected  from  the  war  ?  " 

"  Poor  Louise ! "  said  Marie,  and  stopped  to 
think  very  earnestly.  Here  was  a  very  difficult 
question  set  for  her  decision.  Louise  knew 
nothing,  after  all,  of  Henri's  visit ;  was  not  even 

aware  that  he  was  alive.     Would  it  be  better  to 

17* 


260  MOSCOW 

leave  her  in  ignorance,  for  her  career's  sake, 
or  for  her  heart's  sake  tell  her  the  good  news  ? 
There  was  no  doubt  as  to  which  alternative  old 
Dupr6  would  choose  were  he  to  be  asked  for 
his  opinion.  Marie  was  proud  of  her  sister's 
career  as  a  soldier  and  honestly  sorry  that  it 
should  end,  thus,  at  its  beginning.  The  Em- 
peror would  see  to  it  that  a  new  war  should 
follow  quickly  upon  the  disastrous  campaign 
just  ended ;  Louise  would  have  plenty  of  op- 
portunity to  rise. 

But  Louise  seemed  to  have  wearied  of  "  mas- 
querading "  ;  she  desired  to  be  a  woman  once 
more ;  she  had  become  transformed  by  love. 
Would  this  phase  pass  and  ambition  for  a 
soldier's  glory  dawn  again  at  the  first  bugle  call  ? 

"You  will  forget  your  sorrow,  maybe,"  she 
ventured,  "  when  the  trumpet  sounds  for  a  new 
war,  which  will  be  soon  enough  ;  you  will  desire 
to  return  where  glory  awaits  you." 

"  Not  so,  sister ;  I  have  done  with  glory  ;  it 
is  love  that  I  want.  I  will  tell  you  a  secret ; 
when  I  became  substitute  for  Karl  it  was  indeed 
in  part  for  your  sake,  that  you  might  be  spared 
the  pain  of  separation ;  but  there  was  another 
motive  besides,  for  I  desired  to  go  where  Henri 
went — ah  !  I  deceived  you,  Marie  ;  forgive  me  ; 


MOSCOW  261 

it  is  a  devilish  thing  when  sisters  deceive  one 
another ! " 

Marie  felt  very  uncomfortable. 

"  Sometimes  it  is  not  possible — for  the  sake 
of  others  to  tell  the  whole  truth,"  she  stam- 
mered. "  We  both  have  my  father  to  consider, 
Louise.  You  could  not  well  have  confessed  to 
him  this  other  motive." 

"  No,  you  are  wrong ;  it  is  cowardly  to  de- 
ceive thus ;  it  would  have  been  better  if  I  had 
braved  my  father  from  the  first,  as  you  did, 
sister  ;  you  were  braver  than  I  and  more  honest ; 
you  made  no  pretence  in  the  matter  of  your  love 
for  Karl ;  I  think  it  is  not  in  your  nature  to  de- 
ceive. If  Henri  had  lived  I  should  have  married 
him,  Marie,  and  you  should  have  assisted  me  to 
persuade  my  father  to  forgive  me."  Louise 
looked  keenly  at  her  sister ;  Marie  felt  her  eyes 
penetrate  to  her  very  soul. 

"  Louise,  you  kill  me  with  these  words,  say 
not  another  one,  it  is  needless.  I  am  on  your 
side,  sister.  It  is  true  that  we  withheld  the  truth 
from  you — oh  yes,  I  perceive  that  you  know  all  ; 
like  my  father,  I  was  proud  of  your  success  and 
thought  only  of  your  career,  also — before  Heaven 
I  thought  and  hoped  you  had  forgotten  Henri ; 
if  it  is  not  so  and  you  still  love  him " 


262  MOSCOW 

"Yes,  I  still  love  him,  Marie — what  would 
you  have,  does  one  forget  love  so  quickly?  I 
would  exchange  all  the  military  glory  in  the 
world  for  one  kiss  from  his  lips.  My  father  is 
mad  and  you  were  mad,  sister  ;  do  you  think 
Henri  could  be  alive  and  in  Paris  and  I  not 
know?  You  shall  help  me  to  prepare  my 
father's  mind,  Marie,  for  whether  he  approves 
or  disapproves,  I  must  go  my  own  way  in  this 
matter ! " 

"But  I  deceived  you,  Louise — am  I  forgiven?" 
cried  Marie,  ashamed  and  distressed  to  realise 
how  poor  a  part  she  had  played  in  this  comedy. 

Louise  took  her  sister  in  her  arms  and  kissed 
her — the  first  embrace  these  two  had  exchanged 
for  many  a  year.  "  There,"  she  laughed  ;  "  you 
see  how  true  it  is  that  I  am  a  woman  again ;  as 
for  forgiving — bah  ! — there  is  a  great  deal  of  my 
father's  madness  in  you,  sister ;  in  your  heart  of 
hearts  you  are  as  anxious  as  he  for  my  career 
and  as  disappointed  as  he  will  be  that  I  have  so 
fallen  away  from  your  high  ideals  as  to  have 
fallen  in  love.  Be  comforted,  Marie — you  de- 
ceived me  with  the  best  motives,  no  harm  has 
come  of  it,  and  you  have  confessed  in  time  to 
save  your  soul  and  preserve  my  respect — eh  bien  ! 
all  is  well ! " 


MOSCOW  263 

Nevertheless  Marie  approached  her  father 
with  considerable  trepidation  when  the  moment 
came  to  speak  of  this  matter  of  Louise ;  for 
Marie  had  stipulated  that,  as  punishment  for  her 
offence,  the  task  should  be  left  to  her. 

"Father,"  she  said,  "we  have  been  mistaken, 
you  and  I.  We  had  hoped  and  we  believed 
that  my  sister  Louise  ceased  to  exist  from  the 
day  of  conscription,  but  alas !  I  have  discovered 
that  Louise  lives,  it  is  Michel  Prevost  who  has 
ceased  to  exist." 

"  What  mean  you  ?  "  said  the  old  man,  frown- 
ing. 

"  It  is  this  Baron  d'Estreville,  she  has  seen 
him,  my  father  ;  it  has  been  as  you  feared.  She 
has  spoken  to  me  of  him.  She  loves  him." 

"  Sapristi  I  it  is  impossible !  That  any  one 
should  love  a  man  more  than  honour  and  glory 
and  a  career — cent  mille  diables ! — it  is  impos- 
sible!" 

"  It  is  true — she  is  a  woman,  what  would  you 
have  ?  it  is  better  to  recognise  the  fact,  father ; 
it  is  not  her  fault.  I  too  found  that  I  was  a 
woman,  and  you  forgave  me." 

"That  was  different.  You  were  always  a 
fool,  Marie ;  but  here  was  one  after  my  own 
heart,  a  woman,  by  misfortune  of  birth,  but  able 


264  MOSCOW 

to  put  the  best  of  men  to  shame.  And  a  fine 
career  well  begun !  We  will  argue  with  her, 
Marie,  she  shall  be  wise.  Stay — yes,  that  is 
better — I  will  pick  a  quarrel  with  this  fool,  and 
call  him  out.  Sapristi!  my  old  arm  is  still 
strong  enough  to  slice  the  rogue ;  let  him  but 
show  his  face  here  once  again — he  shall  be 
taught  that " 

"It  is  useless,  my  father ;  Louise  will  have 
her  own  way ;  she  is  man  enough  for  that ! 
What  matters  is  that  we  have  deceived  the  Baron 
and  that  she  will  know  it." 

"  Mon  Dieu,  let  her  know  it — what  then  ? 
Am  I  ashamed  that  I  would  defend  her  from 
that  which  strikes  at  her  true  advantage  ?  God 
forbid.  Let  him  know  also  or  not  know,  what 
care  I ? " 

"  They  have  met  and  it  is  certain  that  she 
knows  we  have  hidden  the  truth  from  him." 

"Good!  let  him  know  it  also.  If  he  is  an 
honourable  man  he  will  not  sit  still  under  so  vile 
a  deception.  Sapristi,  I  have  lied  to  him ;  let 
him  call  me  out !  "  Old  Dupr£  laughed  aloud, 
delighted  with  his  own  astuteness.  His  eyes 
were  aflame  with  the  light  of  battle.  "  Thanks 
be  to  Heaven!"  he  said,  "I  shall  fight  one 
more  duel  before  I  die ! " 


MOSCOW  265 

From  this  bellicose  attitude  Marie  found  her- 
self quite  unable  to  move  her  father.  On  the 
contrary,  he  seemed  so  delighted  with  the  situa- 
tion in  which  he  now  found  himself  that  he  would 
speak  to  her  of  little  else  than  this,  and  Marie 
found  that  she  had,  after  all,  rendered  her  sister 
no  more  signal  a  service  than  to  place  within 
the  category  of  possible  things  that  which  as- 
suredly neither  of  them  would  until  this  day 
have  contemplated  as  in  any  degree  likely,  a 
duel  between  old  Dupre  and  the  lover  of  his 
daughter.  Moreover,  to  the  astonishment  of  his 
assistants,  old  Pierre  forthwith  arrayed  himself 
for  the  arena  and  practised  his  fencing  with 
each  in  turn  until  his  limbs  were  so  stiff  with 
the  unwonted  exercise  that  he  could  hold  his 
foil  no  longer. 

"Mais,  Monsieur!"  exclaimed  Havet,  per- 
spiring with  the  exertion  to  which  the  old  man's 
unexpected  activity  had  condemned  him,  "  you 
are  as  skilful  and  as  nimble  as  a  youth  of  thirty." 

"  Aha !  you  find  me  so  ?  Sapristi,  that  is  well, 
mon  ami.  After  a  few  days  you  will  find  me 
invincible,  and  that  is  well  also,  for,  entre  nous, 
there  is  hope  that  I  shall  be  called  out.  Im- 
agines, mon  enfant !  another  fight  before  I  die ! 
Truly,  Heaven  is  kind  to  me !  " 


266  MOSCOW 

Old  Pierre  did  not  think  Heaven  quite  so 
kind  on  the  morrow,  however,  when  he  dis- 
covered that  his  limbs  were  so  stiff  that  he  was 
unable  to  get  out  of  his  bed.  But  this  circum- 
stance did  not  in  the  least  affect  his  spirit  or 
quench  the  enthusiasm  with  which  he  looked 
forward  to  the  fight  which  he  had  now  persuaded 
himself  to  regard  as  inevitable. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

MICHEL  PREVOST  met  D'Estreville  by  appointment 
at  a  cafe.  "  There  is  no  one  I  can  talk  to  about 
certain  matters  so  readily  as  yourself,"  the  Baron 
had  said,  and  Michel  replied,  laughing,  "Oh,  if 
you  are  going  to  sigh  and  mourn  over  this  little 
Dupre  I  think  I  will  leave  you  to  lament  alone ! " 

Nevertheless  D'Estreville  begged  him  to  come, 
and  he  went. 

The  attitude  of  old  Dupre  had  put  Louise 
into  a  doubly  awkward  position.  "  What  shall 
I  do,  Marie — help  me !  "  Louise  had  entreated 
her  sister.  "  Henri  must  be  told  that  I  am 
alive,  that  is  certain  ;  yet  when  he  learns  that 
my  father  deceived  him  he  will  be  so  angry  with 
my  father  that  I  do  not  know  what  may  happen." 

"  Bah ! "  said  Marie,  "he  will  be  so  happy  to 
learn  that  you  are  alive,  that  he  will  forget 
everything  else.  Moreover,  he  is  not  so  foolish 
that  he  would  take  my  father  seriously." 

"  But  father  takes  himself  so  seriously  ;  he  is 

determined  to  quarrel.     Moreover,  when  Henri 

267 


268  MOSCOW 

learns  that  I  am  alive  he  must  also  learn  that  I 
have  masqueraded  as  a  man,  among  men,  and 
that  is  what  I  dare  not  tell  him.  It  is  an  impasse'' 

"  As  you  have  put  it,  it  is  an  impasse.  But 
why  dare  you  not  tell  him  ?  " 

"  I  am  ashamed.  There  was  a  tale  told  in 
Moscow  of  a  young  Russian  woman  who  had 
taken  part  in  every  battle  in  the  campaign,  her 
name  was  Nadejda  Doorova.  The  soldiers  in 
my  regiment  said  horrible  things  about  her. 
It  is  not  likely  that  Henri  would  think  well  of 
my  performance.  It  is  not  every  one  who  is 
like  my  father  and  yourself,  who  have  his  blood 
in  your  veins." 

"  Bah !  he  will,  as  I  say,  be  so  thankful  to 
find  you  alive  that  he  will  forget  all  this.  Shall 
I  go  to  him,  sister,  and  tell  him  your* story  ?  " 

"  Heaven  forbid,  do  nothing ;  no  one  shall 
tell  him  my  tale  but  I  myself." 

"  Tell  him  of  this  Russian  girl  and  see  what 
he  says  to  the  story,"  Marie  suggested. 

"  But  what  if  he  disapproved  of  it  and  said 
something  so  cruel  about  her  that  I  dare  not 
tell  him  afterwards  of  my  own  escapade  ?  I 
wish  now  I  had  not  done  it,  Marie,  indeed  I  do, 
except  that  your  Karl  was  left  to  you  instead  of 
being  carried  off  to  the  war." 


MOSCOW  269 

"If  he  loves  you  he  will  forgive  ten  times 
more,"  said  Marie.  "Go  to  him  boldly,  sister, 
go  as  Michel  Prevost;  say,  'Here,  mourn  no  more 
for  me,  my  friend,  I  am  Louise  and  my  old 
father  is  not  to  blame  for  the  deception,  for 
obviously  no  person  can  be  two  persons  at  the 
same  time,  and  while  I  was  Michel  there  could 
be  no  Louise.  Now  Michel  has  finished  and 
Louise  steps  once  more  into  being.' ' 

Louise  laughed.  "It  sounds  very  foolish," 
she  said,  "  but  something  of  the  kind  must  be 
done." 

But  when  Michel  Prevost  found  Henri  d'Estre- 
ville  at  the  rendezvous  appointed  she  had  evolved 
no  clear  plan  for  his  enlightenment. 

Henri  began  to  speak  of  his  trouble  almost 
immediately.  The  more  he  thought  about  the 
matter,  he  said,  the  more  amazed  he  was  that  a 
little  love  affair  should  have  so  transformed  him 
that  he  could  think  of  nothing  else.  "  It  is  un- 
like me,  therefore  the  experience  is  obviously  a 
peculiar  one  :  ergo,  I  conclude  that  I  was  for 
once  seriously  in  love  ;  which  being  so,  what  an 
atrocious  trick  fortune  has  played  me.  It  is 
the  last  time,  my  friend,  that  I  shall  look  at  a 
woman ! " 

Michel   contrived   to    direct    the    subject    of 


2/o  MOSCOW 

conversation  to  the  career  of  Nadejda  Doorova, 
the  Russian  girl  who  had  fought  throughout  the 
war  as  a  Cossack  soldier.  Henri  had  not  heard 
of  her  and  displayed  but  little  interest  in  her 
adventures. 

"  Bah  ! "  he  said,  "  she  is  an  eccentric.  It  is 
the  kind  of  thing  old  Pierre  Dupre  would  have 
liked  his  daughters  to  do ;  old  Pierre  is  mad. 
A  woman  must  be  wanting  in  modesty  to  unsex 
herself  thus." 

"  Oh  !  "  exclaimed  Michel  involuntarily  ;  his 
heart  sank.  "  Let  us  be  just  to  her,"  he  mur- 
mured ;  "  who  knows,  she  may  have  had  some 
good  reason  of  which  we  know  nothing,  this 
Nadejda;  her  lover,  maybe,  went  to  the  war 
and  she  could  not  bear  to  be  parted." 

"That  would  perhaps  excuse  her  to  a  certain 
extent,"  said  Henri  wearily.  He  was  not  in  the 
least  interested  in  the  conversation. 

In  despair,  Louise  tried  another  tack.  She 
had  determined  to  come  to  an  understanding 
this  day,  nothing  could  be  done  without  risk. 

"  D'Estreville — will  you  promise  not  to  be 
angry  if  I  make  a  communication  to  you — it  is 
about  Louise  Dupre  ?  " 

Henri  was  all  attention  in  a  moment. 

"About  Louise?"  he  repeated.     "What  can 


MOSCOW  271 

you  have  to  say  about  her — and  why  should  I 
be  angry  ?  I  wish  you  to  talk  of  her. " 

"It  may  be  different  this  time.  I  shall  hope 
that  you  will  not  be  angry.  You  may  have 
observed,  my  friend,  that  when  you  told  me 
your  story  a  few  days  since  I  was  greatly  as- 
tounded to  hear  of  her  death,  Louise  Dupre's 
death." 

"  Naturally,  I  hope  you  were  shocked,  if  only 
for  the  sake  of  your  friend,  who  loved  her." 

"  Monsieur,  prepare  yourself  for  a  surprise 
greater  than  my  own.  You  have  been  de- 
ceived." 

"  Deceived?"  Henri  started  from  his  chair. 
"  How  deceived,  by  whom  ?  " 

"  Be  calm,  dear  friend,  and  sit  down.  It  is 
about  Louise.  I  have  come  this  day  to  tell  you 
the  truth  ;  Louise  did  not  die  as  you  were  told." 
Henri  sat  down  suddenly ;  his  face  paled,  then 
flushed. 

"  Stop — she  did  not  die — is  she  then  still 
alive?  for  God's  sake  speak  plainly,  Michel." 

"  She  is  not  dead." 

"  Then  to  what  end  was  I  deceived  ?  For 
whose  sake  was  I  to  be  kept  in  ignorance?  Is 
it  for  yours,  Michel  ?  I  remember  that  you  said 
there  was  no  woman  worth  breaking  one's  heart 


272  MOSCOW 

over,  if  she  should  prove  false  or  die.  What 
have  you  done,  Michel — what  have  you  done?  " 

"  You  rave,  D'Estreville,"  said  Louise,  grow- 
ing a  little  frightened. 

"No,  I  am  sane  ;  I  know  what  I  say  ;  did  you 
not  tell  me  you  believed  that  I  was  dead  ?  Be- 
lieving this  you  delivered  my  message  to  Louise 
and  that  was  the  beginning.  Since  then  the  false 
wench  has  learned  to  prefer  Michel  living  to 
Henri  dead — isit  not  so?  Come, confess,  Michel." 

"You  are  very  swift  to  find  fault  with  the 
woman  you  profess  to  love,  Monsieur  le  Baron," 
said  Louise,  somewhat  alarmed  at  the  turn  the 
conversation  had  taken,  yet  indignant  withal. 

"  Ah,  you  prevaricate !  I  have  guessed 
rightly.  So  this  is  your  friendship  for  me, 
Monsieur  Michel  Prevost — a  worthy  friend  in 
truth  and  indeed  !  " 

"  Monsieur  le  Baron  jumps  to  conclusions," 
said  Louise.  "  Moreover,  seeing  that  the  mes- 
sage was  to  be  delivered  to  the  lady  in  case  of 
your  death,  and  seeing  that  you  were  believed 
to  be  dead,  should  I  be  to  blame  even  though 
it  were  so  as  you  have  said  ?  " 

"Ha!  you  assured  yourself  very  quickly  of 
my  decease ;  and  she,  too,  by  all  the  Saints  she 
has  wasted  no  time !  " 


MOSCOW  273 

"  Monsieur  le  Baron  is  so  angry  that  he  will 
not  listen  to  reason.  It  is  easy  for  him  to  see 
this  lady." 

"Not  I!"  cried  Henri;  "I  will  see  her  no 
more." 

"But  what  if  you  suspect  her  unjustly  ? " 

"  Then  why  was  I  deceived  and  told  that 
she  was  dead  ?  She  was  '  dead  to  me,'  that  is 
the  explanation.  She  is  not  dead  to  others — to 
you,  for  instance,  her  new  lover — oh  Lord, 
Michel,  a  pretty  messenger  thou  hast  been ! " 

"A  worse  than  the  Baron  supposes,"  Michel 
laughed  nervously,  "for  his  message  was  never 
delivered." 

"  What !  though  you  believed  me  dead  ?  Then 
indeed,  my  friend,  you  have  been  little  better 
than  a  traitor." 

"It  seems  you  are  determined  to  quarrel  with 
me,  say  what  I  will ;  if  I  delivered  the  message 
it  was  in  order  to  found  a  courtship  of  my  own 
upon  it ;  if  I  did  not  I  am  a  traitor.  Neverthe- 
less I  will  not  quarrel,  my  friend.  It  was  not 
I  that  deceived  you,  remember,  but  I  that  un- 
deceived you.  Was  it  not  Monsieur  Dupre  who 
declared  that  his  daughter  was  dead?  Then 
why  am  I  to  be  quarrelled  with  ?  " 

"  Because,  my  friend,  I  believe  you  to  have 
18 


274  MOSCOW 

been  a  party  to  the  deception,  for  a  certain  end 
of  your  own  which  I  have  indicated." 

"  Then  your  wrath  is  expended  upon  wind, 
for  I  swear  to  you  that  though,  I  confess,  this 
lady  is  more  to  me  than  any  woman  in  the 
world- 

"  Aha !  listen  to  him ! "   Henri  raved. 

"And  though  I  am  well  aware  that  she  is 
not  wholly  indifferent  to  my  virtues 

"  By  Heaven,  Michel,  you  are  a  bold  man ! " 
cried  Henri,  fingering  his  sword  hilt;  "finish 
your  sentence  ;  I  will  judge  whether  our  rapiers 
shall  settle  this  matter." 

"  Yet  I  would  not  marry  the  girl  for  all  the 
wealth  of  India,  nor  she  me.  Moreover,  I 
promise  that  Louise  shall  confirm  my  words. 
Henri,  my  friend,  it  is  as  her  messenger  I  come 
this  day.  '  Bid  him  come  to  me  ' — that  is  her 
message." 

"  If  it  be  so,  Michel,"  began  the  Baron,  his 
face  instantly  relaxing,  "you  shall  bid  me  do 
penance  for  my  suspicions ;  but  if " 

"  Nay,  I  weary  of  arguing,  my  friend  ;  come 
to  her  quickly." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

HENRI  D'ESTREVILLE  lost  no  time  in  complying 
with  the  request  conveyed  in  the  message  which 
Michel  Prevost  had  brought  him.  He  hastened 
to  present  himself  at  old  Dupre's  establishment, 
where  he  knocked — in  his  eagerness — with  un- 
necessary vigour,  rousing  old  Dupre  from  a  nap 
as  he  lay  in  bed,  still  a  victim  to  the  stiffness  of 
his  joints,  brought  about  by  his  practice  with  the 
foils  in  preparation  for  an  imaginary  duel. 

Marie  opened  the  door. 

"  Mon  Dieu !  it  is  Monsieur  le  Baron !  "  she 
exclaimed,  flushing. 

"Yes,  it  is  I,"  replied  Henri;  "I  have 
found  that  on  my  last  visit,  Madame,  I  was 
disgracefully  deceived  as  to  the  pretended  death 
of  your  sister  ;  I  have  come  to  see  Mademoiselle 
Louise,  and  also  to  receive  an  explanation  of 
the  deception  to  which  I  was  made  a  victim." 

"  Monsieur,  I  will  fetch  Louise,  let  her  ex- 
plain," Marie  murmured;  "there  are  circum- 

275  18  * 


276  MOSCOW 

stances  which  Louise  will  explain  better  than  I  ; 
Monsieur  will  understand  and  forgive." 

"  Good ;  I  will  see  Louise — fetch  her  quickly." 

Henri  waited  in  the  salon.  He  was  strangely 
agitated.  He  did  not  half  comprehend  all  that 
Michel  had  said ;  for  Michel's  connection  with 
Louise  seemed  mysterious  and  incomprehensible ; 
he  professed  to  love  Louise,  yet,  he  had  declared, 
he  did  not  desire  to  marry  her.  "  Either  the 
fellow  is  mad,"  Henri  reflected,  "or  he  has 
discovered  that  Louise  already  loves  me,  in 
which  case  she  might  have  chosen  another  mes- 
senger !  Soon  I  shall  know  whether  Louise 
indeed  loves  me.  Mon  Dieu,  if  she  does  not, 
after  all  this,  I  know  not  what  shall  happen." 
Henri  strode  up  and  down  the  room,  scarcely 
able  to  contain  his  excitement,  it  was  most  in- 
considerate of  Louise  to  keep  him  waiting  so 
long — what  did  it  mean  ? 

"  She  adorns  herself;  that  is  what  it  means !  " 
Henri  reflected ;  "  it  is  only  natural  that  she 
should  desire  to  look  her  best ;  it  is  only  what 
every  woman  would  do." 

In  this  conjecture  Henri  was  not  far  wrong. 

Upstairs  in  old  Dupre's  bedroom  there  had 
been  scarcely  less  excitement  than  below  in  the 
salon. 


MOSCOW  277 

"Well,  who  was  it  that  knocked  so  loudly?" 
cried  old  Dupre",  as  Marie  presently  appeared 
after  opening  the  front  door  to  admit  the 
visitor. 

"  Monpere,  do  not  be  agitated,  it  is  the  Baron 
d'Estreville,"  said  Marie,  hesitating. 

"  Ah — ah  !  I  thought  it !  I  knew  it !  and  he 
has  demanded  satisfaction  of  me,  and  awaits  me 
below,  is  it  not  so  ?  "  The  old  man  struggled  to 
get  out  of  bed,  but  his  daughters  restrained  him. 

"  Calm  yourself,  my  father,"  said  Marie  ;  "  he 
has  not  demanded  satisfaction.  He  has,  how- 
ever, discovered  that  Louise  is  still  alive  and 
desires  explanations  of  the  deceit  of  which  he 
was  a  victim." 

"There!  What  said  I  ?  Was  I  not  right? 
Let  me  rise — I  will  rise,  I  say,  Marie  ;  I  am 
ready  ;  the  necessary  explanations  I  shall  give  ; 
he  shall  have  them  at  the  rapier's  point.  Out 
of  my  way — thanks  be  to  the  Seigneur  that  I 
shall  yet  fight  another  fight  before  I  die ! " 

"  My  father,  you  cannot — you  are  stiff — it  is 
impossible,"  Marie  protested ;  but  the  irate  old 
man  shook  her  off  and  sprang  out  of  bed.  But 
the  exertion  gave  him  so  agonising  a  twinge  in 
all  his  muscles  that  he  uttered  a  cry  of  pain  and 
collapsed  in  a  sitting  position  upon  his  bed. 


278  MOSCOW 

"Morbleu!"  he  groaned,  "it  is  anguish  to 
move  my  limbs.  What  is  to  be  done  ?  He 
shall  postpone  the  meeting  until  I  can  walk. 
One  week  will  suffice.  Go  down — tell  him  so, 
Marie." 

The  old  man  almost  wept  for  chagrin  and 
disappointment. 

"  Nay,  I  dare  not  go,"  said  Marie.  "  It  is 
Louise  that  he  would  see,  not  me ;  I  fear  his 
anger  if  I  should  appear  and  not  Louise." 

"  Alas,  Marie,  that  I  should  be  the  parent  of 
a  coward,"  Dupr6  groaned.  "  Do  you  not  see 
that  it  is  inadvisable  that  Louise  and  this  man 
should  meet  ?  Have  you  forgotten  the  foolish- 
ness that  he  uttered  concerning  your  sister  ? 
Louise  shall  live  to  be  a  Marshal  of  France, 
yet  this  fool  would  persuade  her,  if  he  could,  to 
waste  the  glory  of  a  career  in  silly  dreams  of 
love — drag  her  down  to  the  level  of  the  sex 
from  which,  by  her  splendid  achievement,  she 
has  emancipated  herself!  Speak,  Louise — re- 
pudiate this  folly — assert  yourself !  " 

"  Mon  pere,  it  may  be  that  Louise,  like  my- 
self, possesses  the  instincts  of  a  woman,"  said 
Marie,  fighting  on  her  sister's  behalf;  "be  not 
hard  upon  her  ;  maybe " 

"  Let  me  speak,  Marie,"  said  Louise. 


MOSCOW  279 

pere,  it  is  certain  that  this  Baron  d'Estreville 
must  be  very  angry  with  us  all,  and  wishes  to 
fight.  I  have  an  idea.  The  Baron  knows 
nothing  of  Michel  Prevost,  that  he  and  I  are 
one.  He  is  determined,  it  seems,  to  see  me. 
Send  me  with  a  message,  that  you  will  have  no 
man  but  Prevost  for  a  son-in-law,  and  that  if 
the  Baron  would  aspire  to  claim  your  daughter, 
he  must  fight  this  Michel  Prevost  for  her.  Now 
the  Baron  is  but  a  poor  fencer,  and  it  is  certain 
that  I,  as  Michel,  would  soon  better  him  in  a 
set-to  with  our  rapiers." 

"  Par  bleu ! "  exclaimed  old  Dupre,  "it  is 
good — it  is  excellent !  Sapristt,  my  daughter, 
you  are  a  genius  in  diplomacy  as  well  as  in  arms ! 
Listen  to  her,  Marie,  and  learn !  And  you  would 
have  set  her  down  to  become  this  wretched 
fellow's  drudge.  Mart  de  ma  vie,  Louise,  I 
thank  the  Almighty  that  you  are  not  as  your 
sister  would  believe  you  to  be !  Yes,  yes,  go 
down,  chdrie,  and  arrange  this  matter — it  is 
good !  But  stay,  declare  first  that  Marie  has 
spoken  nonsense — that  you  have  forgotten  your 
woman's  instincts — that  glory  and  the  career 
come  first  in  your  estimation,  that " 

"  Father,  at  any  rate  I  am  not  yet  ready  to  be 
a  woman ;  the  time  may  come,  soon  or  late,  I 


280  MOSCOW 

will  make  no  promises.  At  present  let  it  be  as 
I  have  said.  The  Baron  is  offended  and  would 
fight — volontiers !  I  am  ready ;  he  shall  fight 
Michel  for  Louise!" 

Louise  laughed  gaily  and  ran  from  the  room. 
She  hastened  to  her  own  chamber,  where  she 
quickly  donned  her  own  dress,  the  fencing 
costume  of  old  days  when  she  still  acted  as 
her  father's  assistant.  All  this  occupied  some 
time,  and  Henri's  patience  was  almost  exhausted 
when  at  last  she  opened  the  door  and  presented 
herself  before  him. 

D'Estreville  caught  the  girl  in  his  arms  and 
covered  her  face  with  kisses.  Louise  abandoned 
herself  to  his  embraces,  making  no  effort  to 
resist,  and  conscious  of  no  desire  to  do  so.  On 
the  contrary,  she  felt  in  that  precious  moment 
that  she  wished  for  nothing  better  in  this  world,  no 
greater  happiness,  no  more  perfect  peace  than  to 
belong  body  and  soul  to  this  man.  D'Estreville 
let  her  go  presently. 

"  Thanks  be  to  God,  you  love  me  then,  after 
all,"  he  murmured. 

"  Did  you  then  doubt  it? "  she  whispered. 

"  Louise,  there  have  been  doubts  and  mys- 
teries ;  tell  me,  you  are  acquainted  with  one 
Michel  Prevost  ?  " 


MOSCOW  281 

Louise  flushed.  "  I  know  Michel  very,  very, 
very  well,"  she  replied,  smiling. 

"  Come,  explain — there  is  a  mystery,  but  I 
think  I  have  a  clue !  Confess,  you  have  a  brother 
or  a  near  relation — now  that  I  see  you,  I  am 
impressed  the  more  with  the  likeness  between 
you  and  this  good  fellow !  If  I  am  wrong,  then 
who — in  Heaven's  name — is  this  Prevost  whom 
you  know  so  well  and  who  reminds  me  so 
strongly  of  you  ?  " 

"  Not  a  brother — a  relative,  yes  ;  he  loves  me, 
Henri — nay,  do  not  speak — he  loves  you  also, 
mon  ami ;  he  would  not  have  us  parted,"  Louise 
laughed  hysterically.  "  Do  not  fear,  he  shall 
never  be  dearer  to  me  than  now,  and  that  is  not 
so  dear  as  you,  not  by — oh,  oh !  so  many  miles ! " 

"  I  see — I  see !  Good  ;  I  am  content.  They 
told  me  you  were  dead,  my  beloved— imagine 
my  despair.  Why  was  I  deceived  ?  " 

"  My  father  will  have  no  son-in-law  but  this 
Michel." 

"Peste!  So  I  must  be  deceived  and  sent 
into  the  fires  of  the  nether  regions ! " 

"  My  Henri,  be  calm  and  listen.  My  father 
sent  me  to  you  with  a  suggestion ;  you  are  to 
fight  for  me  with  this  Michel "  Henri  inter- 
rupted with  a  roar  of  laughter. 


282  MOSCOW 

"  Oh,  oh  !  poor  Michel !  he  is  doomed !  I  shall 
fight  like  a  fiend  from  hell,  if  it  is  for  you,  ma 
mie ;  moreover,  he  is — you  say — on  our  side ! 
What  a  foolish  fight  will  this  be !  " 

"  Michel  is  a  good  fencer,  he  has  few  equals. 
What  if  he  should  slay  you,  my  beloved,  for — if 
I  remember  rightly — you  have  not  more  than  a 
passable  hand  with  the  rapier." 

"Bah!  in  such  a  cause  I  would  overthrow 
even  Louise  herself,"  Henri  laughed ;  "  but  will 
Michel  fight  ?  " 

"  It — it  shall  be  arranged  ;  he  shall  slip  and  you 
shall  disarm  him — neither  shall  be  hurt."  Louise 
blushed  and  became  agitated.  "Go  down,  chdrie, 
to  the  salon  cfarmes,  you  know  it  of  old,  and 
there  Michel  shall  meet  you.  Adieu,  until— 
until  Michel  is  overthrown." 

Henri  laughed  and  embraced  the  girl. 
"Adieu,  then,"  he  said,  "until  then — bid  Michel 
be  quick ! " 

The  salon  d'armes  was  empty  when  Henri 
entered  it.  He  busied  himself  in  examining 
and  testing  the  rapiers  upon  the  walls.  A  sound 
presently  attracted  his  attention  and  he  looked 
round. 

Louise  stood  in  the  arena,  rapier  in  hand  ;  she 
wore  her  fencing  dress ;  her  face  was  crimson 


MOSCOW  283 

with    blushes ;    she    seemed    too    agitated    to 
speak. 

"  What  is  this,  cherie,  where  is  Michel  Pre- 
vost?"  asked  Henri. 

Louise  replied,   murmuring  so  softly  that  he 
could  scarcely  catch   her  words. 

"  Michel  is  here,"  she  whispered.     "  Oh,  my 
beloved,  are  you  so  blind  ?     Michel  is  here,  but 
his  uniform  he  will  never  wear  again  ;  oh,  Henri 
be  kind  to  me  for  the  love  of  Heaven,  for  I  am 
ashamed." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  terrible  war  of  1812  was  over,  and  Russia 
had  shaken  herself  free  of  the  last  Frenchman. 
Already  the  Tsar  Alexander  had  taken  in  hand 
preparations  for  the  terrible  vengeance  which 
was  to  be  exacted  from  his  archenemy.  Mos- 
cow was  being  rapidly  rebuilt ;  the  Russian 
workman,  equipped  with  axe  alone,  is  able  to 
do  wonders  in  the  matter  of  building  up  a 
structure  of  wooden  beams.  In  front  of  the 
Senate  house  was  already  beginning  to  ac- 
cumulate that  immense  collection  of  cannon 
captured  from  or  abandoned  by  the  Grand 
Army,  which  may  still  be  seen  by  visitors 
to  the  Kremlin.  Of  these  nearly  370  are 
French,  190  Austrian,  120  Prussian,  50  from 
the  German  States,  over  100  Italian  and  some 
35  to  40  Spanish,  Dutch  and  Polish ;  over  800 
items  of  evidence  to  the  anguish  of  the  great 
retreat. 

The  prevailing  sense  throughout  Russia  was 

that   of  profound   devotional  gratitude   to    the 

284 


MOSCOW  285 

God  of  Battles,  not  unmingled  with  a  feeling 
of  jubilant  pride  in  the  nation's  prowess,  and 
of  passionate  affection  for  the  Tsar  Alexander 
himself,  whose  courage  and  wisdom  had  shown 
themselves  pre-eminent  qualities  from  first  to 
last,  and  of  respect  and  admiration  for  those 
of  his  Generals,  and  for  Count  Rostopchin, 
Governor  of  Moscow,  who  had  distinguished 
themselves  in  the  defence  of  their  beloved 
country. 

Alexander  himself  was  undoubtedly  the  hero 
of  the  hour.  At  the  annual  reception  of  the 
cadet  corps  in  St.  Petersburg,  a  function  to 
which  the  reader  of  this  history  has  been  in- 
troduced on  a  former  occasion,  his  advent  was 
awaited  with  the  greatest  excitement.  A  laurel 
crown  was  to  be  laid  at  his  feet  by  a  deputation 
of  beautiful  women,  of  whom  Vera  was  one. 
"  Bozhe"  Tsarya  Chranee,"  the  National  Anthem, 
was  to  be  sung  by  cadets  and  guests,  as  it  had 
never  been  sung  before ;  all  the  world  was  on 
the  tiptoe  of  expectation. 

Vera  moved  across  the  room,  supporting  upon 
her  arm  a  limping,  decrepit-looking  figure,  one 
of  many  who  limped  among  the  august  company 
present  that  day.  Old  Countess  Maximof  sat 
and  watched  them.  She  nudged  her  nearest 


286  MOSCOW 

neighbour,  a  motherly  old  person  dressed  in 
gorgeous  attire. 

"  See  them — are  they  not  a  lovely  pair  ? " 
she  said.  "It  has  taken  me  some  time  to  for- 
give Vera  the  impropriety  of  remaining  in 
Moscow  throughout  the  trouble,  but  she  has 
been  so  good  to  my  Sasha  that  who  could 
have  held  out  for  ever  ? "  The  other  gazed 
at  Vera  through  her  double  eyeglasses. 

"  Hah !  remaining  in  Moscow !  Many  unkind 
things  were  said  of  her  upon  that  account,  I 
remember.  She  had  friends  among  the  French 
officers — old  acquaintances  in  Paris — that  was 
the  chief  indictment.  That  will  all  be  forgiven 
and  forgotten.  Yes,  she  is  beautiful.  Your 
son  might  have  done  worse ! " 

Vera  and  Sasha  talked  and  laughed  together, 
they  appeared  to  be  radiantly  happy. 

"It  is  only  four  years  ago  that  we  met  here," 
Vera  whispered,  "  and  at  that  time  you  were 
still  a  victim  to  the  follies  of  cadetdom — do  you 
remember  how " 

"  Shall  I  never  be  forgiven  that  expression  ?  " 
Sasha  laughed. 

"  Oh,  droog  moy,  let  us  remember  it  to  our 
everlasting  gaiety ;  let  us  remember  also  how 
you  had  no  leisure  to  be  presented  to  your 


MOSCOW  287 

little  fiancee ;  she  was  too  young  and  too  ugly, 
and  Mademoiselle  Kornilof  was  at  the  same  time 
so  fascinating ;  and  oh,  mo n  Dieu,  the  conceit  of 
the  good-looking  cadet  whom  poor  I  was  obliged 
to  adore  from  afar  !  " 

"  Ah,  you  did  not  adore  me,  that  is  not  true, 
dooshd  moya ;  come,  confess  that  at  that  moment 
you  detested  me !  " 

"  Perhaps  I  tried  to  think  so ;  but  there  was 
a  something  deep  down  in  my  heart  that  was 
certainly  not  hatred.  It  has  lurked  there  ever 
since.  If  you  had  shown  a  liking  for  me  that 
day,  it  might  never  have  existed,  but  when  you 
gave  me  the  cold  shoulder  it  came  and  with  it 
a  kind  of  determination  that  you  should  repent 
in  sackcloth  and  ashes  ;  that  you  should  sue " 

"Little  tyrant!  you  exacted  a  terrible  re- 
venge !  Oh,  the  hours  of  misery  you  have 
caused  me,  you  and  your  French  admirers." 

"  Ah !  poor  Paul ! " 

"  Frankly,  Vera,  were  you  ever  near  to  loving 
him?" 

"  Never  so  near  as  when  he  befriended  you 
on  the  battlefield."  Sasha's  fingers  closed 
tightly  over  his  companion's  arm.  He  had 
never  thought  it  necessary  to  inform  Vera  that 
Paul  had  very  nearly  killed  him  before  be- 


288  MOSCOW 

friending  him,  nor  did  Vera  ever  learn  that  it 
was  he  who  had  dealt  the  blow  which  went 
so  near  to  widowing  her  heart  for  ever. 

Vera  was  much  observed  at  this  time.  She 
was  more  beautiful  than  ever.  Sorrow  and 
suffering  had  added  something  to  her  loveliness. 
Her  story  was  known  to  most  of  those  present 
and  rendered  her  an  interesting  personality,  for 
the  Russian  dearly  loves  a  romantic  tale.  This 
afternoon  there  were  many  lips  that  told  of  the 
baby-betrothal  of  these  two,  of  Vera's  Parisian 
experiences,  of  her  patriotism,  of  her  finding 
and  nursing  the  Russian  lover,  her  childhood's 
fianc£,  and  of  his  triumph  over  all  rivals, 
French  and  otherwise. 

Even  the  Tsar,  when  at  last  he  made  his 
triumphal  entry  into  the  hall  and  had  received 
the  laurel  tribute  prepared  for  him  and  listened 
to  the  splendid  soulful  rendering  of  the  National 
Anthem,  presently  noticed  the  beautiful  girl  in 
constant  attendance  upon  young  Count  Maximof, 
whom  he  knew. 

"Who  is  she?"  he  asked — "she  is  beauti- 
fully dressed — one  would  say  she  was  French 
— but  her  face  is  Russian,  of  our  loveliest 
type." 

"  It  is  the  daughter  of  Demidof,  your  Majesty's 


MOSCOW  289 

envoy  at  present  at  the  Court  of  Sweden,"  the 
Tsar  was  informed. 

"  What,  the  beautiful  Russian  maiden  who 
was  said  to  have  inflamed  the  hearts  of  half  the 
youth  of  Paris  ? "  the  Tsar  laughed.  "  Has  she 
then  decided,  at  last,  in  favour  of  a  Russian 
admirer  ? " 

"  Not  only  so,  Sire,  but  of  one  who  was 
betrothed  to  her  in  childhood — perhaps  your 
Majesty  remembers  the  story.  It  was  said  that 
they  had  agreed  to  annihilate  the  contract  entered 
into,  perhaps,  in  a  moment  of  conviviality  by 
their  respective  fathers  ;  but  the  end  of  the  story 
is  most  romantic ;  the  lady  sought  and  found 
her  lover  upon  the  battlefield  outside  Moscow 
at  the  village  of  Pavlova ;  there  she  nursed  him 
back  to  life,  and — at  his  request,  for  he  believed 
himself  to  be  dying — actually  married  him  as  he 
lay  gasping  in  a  peasant's  hut." 

"  Chort  Vosmee  I "  laughed  the  Tsar,  "that  is 
a  good  story  ;  what,  and  they  have  not  disagreed, 
since  he  recovered?  That  kind  of  marriage 
might  prove  a  more  serious  matter  than  the 
foolish  betrothal  contract !  " 

"They  seem  good  friends,  Sire,  if  one  may 
judge  from  appearances ! "  said  the  other. 

Afterwards  Vera,  to  her  astonishment  and 
'9 


290  MOSCOW 

delight,  though  perhaps  also  somewhat  to  her 
consternation,  was  informed  by  his  aide-de-camp 
that  the  Tsar  would  dance  with  her. 

She  went  through  the  ordeal  of  that  stately 
quadrille  excellently  well,  however,  entertaining 
and  delighting  the  Tsar  with  an  account  of  how 
Sasha  had  stolen  a  march  upon  her  by  persuad- 
ing her  to  marry  him  as  he  lay  dying — which 
she  did,  she  explained,  to  oblige  a  friend — after- 
wards recovering  when  he  certainly  had  no 
right  to  do  so. 

"You  are  caught  now,  Madame,"  said  the 
Tsar  ;  "  will  the  caged  bird  beat  herself  against 
the  bars  of  her  prison  ?  " 

"  Your  Majesty  must  ask  me  a  year  hence," 
Vera  laughed  ;  "at  present  I  am  a  new  toy,  and 
my  jailer  is  content  to  play  with  me !  "  The 
Tsar  laughed  again. 

"  By  the  Saints,  Madame,  if  he  should  show 
signs  of  falling  short  in  his  appreciation  of  his 
good  fortune,  you  shall  tell  me  and  he  shall  be 
sent  to  Siberia.  Such  a  man  would  deserve  his 
fate." 

"  It  may  be,  your  Majesty,  that  he  married 
me  out  of  patriotic  motives  in  order  to  prevent 
my  falling  into  French  hands." 

"  Good — good  !  it  was  a  worthy  act  and  shall 


MOSCOW  291 

be   rewarded,"  said  the  Tsar,    smiling   kindly. 
"  Adieu,  Madame  ;  we  shall  meet  again  I  trust." 

On  the  following  morning  Vera  received  a 
beautiful  present  from  his  Majesty :  an  order, 
the  collar  of  St.  Anne,  commonly  known  in 
Russia  as  "  Annooshka  na  shay ".  The  gold 
cross  attached  to  the  collar  was  inscribed  "  For 
Patriotism  ". 

Sasha  at  the  same  time  obtained,  what  was  at 
the  moment  the  object  of  every  young  Russian 
officer's  ambition,  a  captain's  commission  in  the 
new  regiment  of  Imperial  Guards  lately  organised 
by  his  Majesty.     Not  long  after  this  Vera  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  Paris.     It  was  brought  by 
hand  by  a   Russian  prisoner  returning  to  his 
native  country.     The  packet  contained  a  gilt- 
edged  card,  upon  which  was  printed : — 
Mons.  le  Baron  Henri  d'Estreville. 
Madame  la  Baronne  Henri  d'Estreville 
(nte  Louise  Dupre). 

To  which  was  added,  written  in  a  woman's 
hand  : — 

"  En  suite  le  Capitaine  d'infanterie  Michel 
Prevost,  qui  vous  fait  part,  belle  cousine,  de  sa 
mort ". 


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